


Fortunate

by Shelookstothesky



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angstshipping - Freeform, Drabble Collection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, I Don't Even Know, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I love Yugi as the third wheel. He's the best., Light Bondage, M/M, Shameless Smut, Slice of Life, Wholesome, past thiefshipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:33:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 71,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shelookstothesky/pseuds/Shelookstothesky
Summary: I suppose this is my official contribution to this little community. I don't really know where to start? Firstly, there's not really a coherent plotline to this. It's just going to be scenes with the same cast of characters and time period. I had three different titles in mind for this damn fic but decided on Fortunate because it seemed the most suitable for the tone of the story I'm going for. I was geared up to write this because I'm extremely fascinated by the point of view Malik must have on the world when he lived a good chunk of his life underground. Could you imagine how little things must impress him, even after living a normal life years later? Especially towards nature.Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading as much I enjoy writing it.- Jess XO
Relationships: Bakura Ryou/Marik Ishtar
Comments: 27
Kudos: 14





	1. Errands

It was around noon when a pristine looking red chopper parked up to the curb of one of the sidewalks of Domino City. The forecast for the day called for blue skies with little clouds. Which was a bit of a shame to Malik since he enjoyed the atmosphere that came with the rain. Though, he couldn’t complain too much since it was now the beginning of spring around these parts of Japan and enjoyed the warmer weather far more than the awful winter, which was an experience in itself. Surprisingly the only thing about the colder weather he liked was the snow. The glorious white consistency was almost magic to the Arab as it didn’t melt in your hands if it was cold enough outside. To think that silly little joys such as the change of weather were enough to keep Malik at bay. 

The bottoms of his beat-up combat boots grazed the asphalt of the grainy street as he let his feet hover down in order to nudge the kickstand down to balance the bike steady. Malik stayed put in his seat as the much softer looking male behind him unwrapped his arms away from his waist and took his time to slip off the red helmet and shook his long white hair free before handing it over gently to his partner. Malik took it wordlessly, glancing behind him as he held the strap to the helmet and hung it over one of the handlebars. The thought of considering buying another helmet crossed his mind since Ryou was more than willing to ride with him nowadays. He didn’t mind giving up his only helmet though since the more delicate man was more of a priority to him if they ever were in danger. 

Ryou hopped off from the back fairly quickly and began untying the rope that secured a burlap sack from the small luggage rack of the motorcycle. It was a large bag with drawstrings bound tightly to prevent the top from opening. It was the end of the week which meant it was laundry day. The bag consisted of mainly dirty linen such as sheets or towels and heavier articles of clothing that their minuscule wringer washer wasn’t able to bear. It was hooked up right outside their bathroom and it wasn’t very idle to always recycle the bathwater to just wash a couple of t-shirts and some jeans. Especially when there were three men crowding among it. 

It was mundane activities that Malik really seemed to enjoy. It wasn’t just a chore day. Normally there is always a little bit extra since the two were out. Such as getting a bite to eat while waiting for their clothes to dry or looking around the stores even if it was just window shopping. It was activities like this that made the Egyptian feel almost normal; and that was a nice feeling.

As Ryou situated the sack of laundry Malik finally hopped off the bike himself and instantly was drawn towards the display case of different sized televisions propped up behind a storefront window. They were all playing different channels. The largest television was centered in the middle and way playing some old idol group; a bunch of young boys dancing in flashy costumes while singing. A spectacle his younger self would have been completely at awe over. And maybe in some ways so was his present day form as he couldn’t keep his lavender eyes off the synchronized footwork. It probably looked a bit silly from his partner’s point of view as he always liked to portray himself in a certain image. A multicolor racer jacket draped over a broad pair of shoulders and jeans Malik has been wearing for the past three days. His stance was quite casual with one of his hands tucked into his front pockets as he must have left it there from when he slipped his motorcycle key away. He didn't care, his fingers felt comfortable there.

Ryou made his way over, carrying the sack alongside with him and quietly approached the Arab from behind. He took a good look at what the other’s attention was so caught up with and smiled as he set the bag down on the ground and gently wrapped his arms back around his partner’s waist and rested his head onto his strong back and slowly began swaying both their bodies from side to side. Surprisingly Malik wasn’t spooked by this as he outwardly melted into the warm embrace of the smaller framed male. He slipped his hand out of his pocket and rubbed up against his partner’s pale arm. 

“Sorry, I should have helped you with the bag,” He apologized and slipped out of his grasp to turn to him.

Ryou shook his head with the smile still present on his face.

“No worries. It isn’t heavy. Do you remember this song? It was so popular during high school,” He asked, watching Malik grab onto the drawstrings of the bag and hoisted it over his shoulder.

“Uh, no. I’m not familiar,” He hesitated and blinked in confusion.

“I’m surprised you remember,” Malik added, soaking in the pleasant demeanor of the flower boy. 

He was accustomed to Ryou’s charm by now. And how he was the more stable partner of the two. Nevertheless, it still baffled Malik on how he was always able to save face even when dreadful memories were dug up. It was easy for Malik not to recognize the song. Television was unheard of and radio was a luxury for him around that age. But for Ryou, well, if we’re going by the correct timeline it was very unlikely that he would remember a song like that. High school is when the spirit of the millennium ring was most prevalent. The way his partner described it was that at times more than 50% of the day was the spirit controlling the ragdoll body that was Ryou. 

Malik’s perplexed stare didn’t seem to sway the softer male as his gorgeous face was unmoved. The oversized t-shirt that Ryou wore was stretched out from age. It was a pastel pink and blue tye-dye shirt. A garment of clothing the young adult must have had since he was a kid. Just another reminder that they were out for laundry day.

“I’m sorry, I forget sometimes when you actually--” Ryou hesitated to talk at first until Malik calmly cut it off.

“Don’t,” Malik sounded emphatic, flashing another curious stare over at his peculiar partner as he started walking towards the laundromat.

Ryou only gave a nod as a response, tagging alongside the Egyptian and politely held his hands behind his back as they walked.

“He didn’t take everything away from me, you know,” He finally broke the small moment of silence between them.

A heavy feeling of guilt sunk to the pit of Malik’s stomach. Those dark brown eyes focused on him and he was too unnerved to even make contact with the other. When he did compose enough to look back over at Ryou he was not unwelcomed. It was almost infuriating how understanding this man could be at times. 

“In this case. I guess I should be the one sorry then,” He awkwardly glanced away again with an uneasy smirk tugging the corner of his lips. 

“Don’t,” Ryou purposely mimicked Malik to make a joke out of the straining situation. 

Malik gradually relaxed into the quietness that settled between them again. He suddenly took a look around to make sure there was nobody close by as he shyly stretched his hand down towards the flower boy as an offer. Ryou quickly caught on with his face lighting up with delight and intertwined fingers with the weary Arab.

\--

The laundromat they preferred going to was a small vintage one that was on the outskirts of the busy streets. There were six machines altogether. Three little washers that were a faded yellow color while there was the same amount of dyers right directly across on the wall that was now a dingy shade of blue from age. There were two vending machines, one that held standard snacks and the other miniature detergents for washing. The couple never really had a need to use the vending machine for that purpose as they carried some with them inside their laundry sack. It was almost comical when Ryou pulled out a fistful of change from his pants pocket to start up the washer. The machines were only coin-operated. Thankfully the more delicate partner remembered such things because Malik never did. 

It didn’t take long for them to settle in as neither of them made a fuss about separating one another’s clothing. They had grown too close to care about trivial things like that. And if the mood was right Ryou would teasingly complain that they may have gotten too close when Malik started his subtle flirting towards him. Such as why bother washing the sheets when they will just get dirty by tonight. Or trying to convince his gentle partner out of that corny tye-dye shirt and in return he could wear the Egyptian’s racer jacket. Ryou couldn’t complain much from the playful behavior. He was grateful for the days when Malik was chipper enough to even crack jokes at his expense or not. There were more times than the albino could count to where Malik’s medication would wipe out his personality. Just leaving him a tired husk of a person who was only able to show irritability as his main trait. 

Once the clothes were out of the washer and into a dryer the couple decided to head off for a stroll. There was no point in staying trapped inside the building as the only form of entertainment was an old school arcade machine that was plopped in one of the corners of the space. Yugi had shown the other two how to play from a couple of times he did laundry with them. And a card table that occasionally had a thermos coffee pot with paper cups and whatever dessert the elderly woman who owned the laundromat made during the week. She also had a husband who Malik surprisingly liked to chat with when the older gentleman spent time out from behind the counter. It was quite endearing seeing the Arab interact with the man. He listened to him intently almost like a child. 

Out of curiosity, Ryou asked him one night why he found so much interest in the older man. And Malik easily explained that he realized that other people’s life experiences were important and therefore they should be appreciated. And that explanation struck his partner odd at first. Malik didn’t seem like the type and then soon realized that it was the naive foreigner’s way of trying to grow as a person. He spent more than half his life underground after all. One of the couple’s favorite things to do together was to people watch. For Ryou it was entertaining. But for Malik, it was more than that. Because he was inapt to a lot of modern things including people; he made it a point to observe the public around him in order to fit in and act like properly. He was already a little clumsy already considering that he was already accustomed to his own culture. 

The couple walked to the closest convenience store, a Family Mart where they had decided to gather a few snacks before heading off to pay Amane, Ryou's little sister, a visit. It took the dryers about an hour to finish it. Which meant they had plenty of time to waste. As they strolled through the aisles the flower boy slowly took a moment to stop in his tracks. Seeing that Malik was looking up at something. 

"What is it?" He asked softly, turning to his partner. 

Without a word, Malik pointed up to what seemed to be a mirror that served as a border around the top of the walls of the store. Ryou guessed it was more for security purposes than decor as he blinked in confusion. The Arab pointed up to their two reflections. 

"It's us," He said inquisitively. 

Ryou nodded at the comment. 

"Yes, it is," He agreed, a bit awkwardly. 

A smirk tugged the corner of Malik's lips as he discreetly looked over his shoulder before taking a step closer to Ryou and brushed the ends of his long hair out of the way in order to plant a kiss onto his neck. The sudden sign of affection caused the more modest partner to freeze up with ears tinting a bright pink. This made the Egyptian chuckle as he proceeded to lean in further as Ryou cringed slightly from embarrassment, raising his shoulder a bit to avoid Malik's face. He began grinning as he managed to place another kiss on his fair skin, stretching an arm behind the other man when Ryou curled against the shelf of the aisle. Malik couldn't help but peer back into the reflection of the mirror above them. His eyes were cunning gleaming into the reflection and relished in this moment of just them together. 

"I adore you," He cooed into his ear and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Ryou was now fully a proper shade of red, captivated by their image in the mirror. His eyes panned away and his body jolted in fright when a pedestrian unknowingly walked past them. Paying no mind to their horseplay. It was only natural for Malik to be startled from the sharp jerk when the mortified flower boy pulled himself away.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" He asked gently, in concern as they walked and watched the stranger coasted by. 

Ryou weakly nodded and began walking out of the aisle. 

"Yes," His mumble was nearly heard. 

Malik frowned, standing still for just a moment before following behind him. 

He kept a distance between him and Ryou. Just to make sure that he didn't make his partner feel any more uncomfortable than he already had. 

As Malik continued to lag behind, a flat top freezer caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks having all the brightly designed desserts intrigued him. Admittedly, he was able to speak pretty decent Japanese but his understanding of kanji was lousy. So it allowed him to choose an ice cream just by image. There was a ridiculous array of treats. Ranging from standards like matcha and vanilla. To more exotic flavors such as peach and soda pop. Thinking back the Arab didn't really know if he had an actual favorite when it came to sweets. He basically liked them all. He was always willing to try whatever was new, considering that candy was a rare commodity for him growing up. It was almost embarrassing to say that even in his early 20s that cutely shaped treats still excited him. 

But in this moment it wasn't about him. He wanted to choose something Ryou would like. Or rather, what his sister would like. They couldn't visit Amane empty handed. Out of all the zillion different kinds of sundae cups. And those delightfully strange Papico soft serve that came in a squeeze bottle. His indecisive brain finally choice a type of ice cream sandwich. Mainly because he knew his delicate partner enjoyed them. More specifically, the ones that had a waffle shell instead of the typical cookie one. The one he plucked up was a bit different though. The cookie part was chocolate and cut out in the shape of a cat head. And what looked to be strawberry ice cream as the filling. Amane would love this for sure. After diligently choosing another kind of frozen treat. A little box of Pino chocolates. Malik knew Ryou liked the normal kind and he figured it would be easier to share. Since the candies were individual. He held both treats in his hands as he started wandering around in search of the nerd. As he looked around he couldn't help but get distracted by the other items in the store that he wasn't exactly sure what they were. 

There was a whole display stand of pastries. The item that struck Malik most bizarre was the cake in a cup. What in the world? It was packed in a standard cardboard cup and a plastic lid with what looked like chunks of chocolate cake just plopped inside. And according to the sign on the stand, there was a fancy mousse in the middle. His first thought was why bother to even stuff perfectly good cake in a cup? When it's just as nice, or even better served on a plate. He shook his head in disbelief as he rubbed his thumb the tiny text on the cup before setting it back down. Enough of that. There shouldn’t be any more time getting lost on these frivolous things.

If it was up to the Egyptian, he’d be in here all day just gazing at all the overwhelming items in the conbini. Finding his partner shouldn’t be that difficult. His ghostly white appearance made him stick out like a sore thumb. And with that being said Malik easily found him in the back of the store closer to where they originally were. The cooler section that was below the surveillance mirror that he couldn’t help get a glimpse of himself while walking over to greet Ryou.

"I found these," Malik said, putting out his hands to show Ryou the ice creams. 

The delicate man nodded, looking over the frozen treats as he held two bottles in his hand. One of just plain water and the other a soft drink called C.C Lemon. Which the Arab was only a little familiar with. 

"They are cute," Ryou said simply, looking over the colorful packaging. 

"Yeah, I got the cat one for Amane--" Malik bit his tongue seeing an unsettling expression on the other's face. 

This caught the flower boy completely by surprise as he looked at his partner questionably. His large brown eyes widening in confusion was a dead give away. Damn it. Was he too bold to just guess what his sister would like? Malik knew Amane was very important to him. He'd never want him to think he was taking the visit for granted. He wanted to be considerate. Without trying to seem like an utter fool the Egyptian tried to explain himself. 

"Uh, well. You see, I thought she'd like the cat cookie because...it's cute? Maybe?" He was lost for words, just trying to convey himself in a way that wouldn't pour anymore salt into the wound. 

"I mean!--Rishid and I both like malban filling. So I thought, maybe, well--" 

Malik's nervous stance and his stuttering made Ryou grow a wide smile. He set the large sized water bottle down and reached out to lay a hand over his that was still holding the ice cream sandwich. 

"Malik it's okay! Amane would love it! I just think it's best to bring her something that won't melt?" He haphazardly tried to hold onto his hand despite it being full. 

The Arab blinked in surprise and nodded in agreement as he slipped his hand away and stretched over to open one of the cooler doors behind Ryou to set the ice cream down on a shelf. 

"You're right," He said, quickly grabbing onto his partner's hand and managed to pick up the water bottle by the cap between his fingers while still keeping a tight grip onto the little box of truffles. 

Ryou glanced down at Malik carrying the items with a frown as he intertwined fingers with his.

"Maybe we should have gotten a basket," He squeaked out shyly. 

Malik decided not to comment on it. It wasn't important enough as it would never be a bother to carry something for Ryou. 

"Why don't you pick a snack out for Amane that you'd know she'd like," He suggested, taking a look over at the other man. 

With that being said Ryou began glancing around and suddenly stopped by an open cooler with no door that had a section of cold sandwiches cut in half and sealed in a neat looking plastic. He slipped his hand away from him and reached past the pork cutlet and chicken teriyaki and straight for a sandwich filled with whipped cream and fruit. 

"Strawberries are her favorite," He flashed that charming smile towards Malik as he held it up to show him.

\--  
After checking out of the store the two left with their goodies and finally headed off to see Amane, still hand and hand. With Ryou carrying the bag this time, he insisted. Malik had no idea his partner even had a sister. He didn't really talk about her much actually, come to think of it. He never talked about her at all. Before moving to Japan the couple had a long distance relationship for a while. And with all the emails, phone calls, and letters exchanged his sister was never mentioned. Hell, he didn’t even have an idea of her existence during their occasional visits with each other. It wasn't until Malik started living with his gorgeous flower boy and Yugi that he had finally found out about the mysterious Amane. It was one night while lounging in Ryou’s bedroom while Malik was being shown the incredibly cool collection of Dungeons & Dragons figurines that Ryou created and painted by hand. He happened to notice a framed photo of a young girl, looking very similar to Ryou with the same fair skin but her hair was tinted pink and eyes a beautiful turquoise. The beauty definitely runs in the family. 

They walked through the open gates that lead into the graveyard and stopped in front of a medium sized statue that had the same type of sculpting as many of the Buddhism figures that the foreigner had seen while living in Japan so far. Ryou had taught him that the statue was of the divinity Jizo and served as Amane’s headstone. The patron saint of travelers and guardian of children. Ryou had actually mentioned this saint before, considering that both of them have traveled frequently enough. The little statue was bundled up with a crocheted red hat, to no surprise made by his crafty partner. Along with a matching color bib tied to its torso. The hat was supposed to protect Jizo from the elements and the bib symbolized protection over Amane’s soul. Red apparently is the color to expel illness or demons. When first hearing this the Arab made a joke about how he should wear red more often, it did not make Ryou laugh. 

He had told Malik that he tried visiting Amane’s grave frequently. Or at least on important holidays since work tended to wear him out. When Malik first learned of Amane’s death he had asked him why she was never mentioned, his sister was obviously a very important part of his life. It took a bit of prying but gradually Ryou finally explained that he used to write letters to Amane and their mother on a regular basis when he was younger. And decided to stop because the spirit of the millennium ring used to taunt him while he was trying to communicate with them. And eventually, a little after that, his timeline became hazy due to sharing his body with the spirit. When the flower boy talked about the hardships he had with the millennium ring, it always caused the foolish Egyptian to feel a tinge of guilt in his gut, because he once associated with the same entity that severely toyed with the fragile boy’s mind and treated his body like nothing more than a plaything. Granted, Malik was much younger than when this happened but it didn’t stop him from still being infuriated at himself. It made him feel sick that he most likely knew more about his partner’s body than Ryou himself truly did. 

It was made clear that he not only kept his sister a secret because of past traumas that still kept him up at night. It was also because he found it embarrassing to explain. Which Malik could understand. Despite the gentle appearance that Ryou held he actually had what could be considered by many, some dark interests. He was playing with Ouji boards even before the spirit of the ring reared his ugly head out. And he loved anything that involved paranormal activities, especially ghost hunting. He also happened to be fond of some witchcraft beliefs as well. He owned a couple of tarot decks and had used them on both Yugi and Malik a few times on slow nights at home; that normally entailed checking the energies of The Pharaoh. They withheld interest in checking in on the spirit of the ring. Ryou had more desire to speak with him than the Egyptian did. The unhinged King of Thieves was once one with the gentle soul. And pathetically, so was the Arab. For all the wrong reasons. Ultimately the couple decided not to bother. The spirit was far too dark to interact with. At least, that's the excuse used. 

The charming boy next door act was all a ruse. Behind the dorky plaid shirt and that gentle smile was a very peculiar person, and Malik absolutely adored him for it. His partner’s macabre hobbies didn’t bother him in the slightest. Who was he to judge anyway? Ryou was without a doubt the more likable one out of the two. They weren’t normal people. They were never going to be normal people. And that’s alright. They just had to be functional enough to survive. That was the factor that put Malik's heart at ease. Where he was able to look over all the gritty details of their past and push forward. 

They sat down in front of the headstone and set the plastic bag on the dry grass as Ryou pulled out the dessert sandwich and placed the treat onto the platform of the statue. Malik sat criss-cross next to his partner and bowed his head to say a small prayer. He didn’t know any Japanese prayers, only the Arabic teachings from growing-up. It probably didn’t matter anyhow. Malik had learned that respecting the dead was almost all the same in every culture, he dared to compare even the Christians with all they're different Saints. He didn't lift his head up until he heard Ryou's soft-spoken voice. 

"Good afternoon Amane. I'm sorry I haven't seen you in a while. I hope you're doing well."

There was a smile on his face but his eyes were filled with sorrow. Malik thought it was best not to say anything, just to sit quietly and observe. He knew this visit was a very intimate one. 

"It's been tough at work recently. And well, I've just been so tired that I haven't felt up to par lately. I hope you understand and could forgive me," He began to bow his head, letting those beautiful white locks fall over his shoulders. 

Malik didn't outright stare over at him; only glancing at his somber expression from the corner of his eye. Ryou was speaking in Japanese so the Egyptian only was able to gather enough words to catch on to what was being said. Such as the way he used the casual term of saying sorry. He was apologizing to his sister. Probably for not coming to see her. He also recognized the word work, so he believed his guessing was plausible. 

"I like bringing Malik with me nowadays because he's very special to me and he knows you are too," He paused as his smile never left his face. 

When Ryou spoke he purposely repeated the word special in Arabic to catch his partner’s attention. And translated a few other words as he continued on with explaining how they brought her a treat while being out. The flower boy was effortlessly perfect in that way, he was subtle in showing fondness. 

The rest of the time there was spent in small talk. Malik had no idea that anybody could hold up a one-sided conversation for so long like this, and then it dawned on him. Unlike the Arab who knew his siblings were just a phone call away. Ryou really had nobody. Well, besides him and Yugi. In this case, though, he didn't have any family to turn to. He had a father who was barely available because he was too occupied with being an entrepreneur. And even then, he didn't recall him and his father having a very open relationship. He only knew his son surface deep. He had no idea how his child felt or the horrors that he endured. It was quite sad. And this made Malik really appreciate Isis and Rishid so much more. They had witnessed the unforgivable things their brother has done and how terribly he treated them over the years. And how grateful he felt knowing that they were able to understand him and still love him regardless of his past mistakes. Malik couldn't comprehend why a bastard like him was so unbelievably fortunate. He was still able to have a group of support at his fingertips. While his gentle soul of a partner didn't. It only made the former Tomb Keeper want to love him even more as he found himself laying his hand over Ryou's that rested on the grass between them. The touch caused them to make eye-contact once more and titled his head as he spoke. 

"I think it's time for us to head back now," He said calmly. 

Malik took the initiative to pluck the plastic bag up from the ground and stood behind Ryou, watching him carefully make sure that the bib was still secured in the back of the little saint as he said his goodbyes to Amane. And took his partner's hand as he helped him back up on his feet. 

\--  
Back at the laundromat, Malik’s legs hung over one of the yellow washers as he sat on top of it with his feet a little past the circular glass window of the machine. A pile of clean clothes was sitting beside him, that he already folded. He tore open the little red box of Pino chocolates that thankfully haven’t melted too badly while being out. The Arab used an itty-bitty blue pick provided in the box to poke at the cute candies gently and ate one. It was vanilla ice cream bits covered in a chocolate coating, how can you go wrong? He watched Ryou from not too far away as he was folding a few pillowcases. He managed to get the other male’s attention by making a beckoning gesture towards him with his hand. This obviously perked the other’s interest as Ryou took a few steps to stand across from his partner. 

“Yes?” He asked, draping a pillowcase over his arm.

Malik poked through another candy, sharing the only flower shaped truffle in the box. A product most likely marketed in honor of the spring weather. Ryou raised a brow at first. Not expecting to have a morsel pressed against his lips. He took up the offer quickly by grabbing onto Malik’s wrist gently and popped the sweet in his mouth. Their eyes met as Ryou glided his lips off the pick excruciating slow and straightened out his back to chew. The strange motion caused the Egyptian to choke up a bit and bow his head to hide his face as he let out a loud snicker. His sudden flustered expression made Ryou gleam in amusement, slowly letting go of his wrist when Malik began lowering it down away from him.

“And what was that? You tease!” He lifted his head back up with a cheeky grin. 

His lavender eyes followed Ryou as he started walking back to the laundry trolley where the linen was in. He kept his back towards Malik as he set the now folded pillowcase down on top of its mate and began pulling out the large fitted sheet to the matching set.

“Payback for what happened in the convenience store I suppose,” He told him innocently, glancing behind his shoulder just to sneak another smile over at him.

This had completely gained all of Malik’s attention now as he hopped off the washing machine, leaving the Pino candies behind and headed straight for his partner. He was all set and ready for a witty comeback, teasingly grabbing onto part of the sheet harshly in a playful manner until he noticed Ryou having difficulty folding such a large item neatly. He loosened the grip with his facial expression softening. 

“Let me show you the way Isis and I always do this.”

Ryou happily agreed to Malik’s suggestion as he followed the Arab’s instructions. It was a simple process of the two standing apart from one another with both of them holding onto the edges of the hem and folding it once horizontally and again vertically before walking towards one another until they met face-to-face. After that was done Malik took the remaining amount left and tucked a piece of the linen under his chin to fold it a final time before handing it back over for the flower boy to put away. It was odd to see his partner display such domestic traits like this, considering that he had no issue of reminding anybody of his past of being the leader of the Rare Hunters. One would expect him to just be a typical thug all around. Though, this unique man was one of many layers. Some just happen to be the knowledge of basic household essentials. It was quite endearing to see through Malik’s roughness and to be able to get a glimpse of what his true nature was. 

Ryou caught himself just standing there, holding the sheet against his chest while watching the Egyptian continue the monotonous task of sorting out the items in the trolley and continuing folding. He soon felt the other’s eyes on him and slowly turned his face to look over at the slender frame of his lover.

“What is it?” A hint of worry was evident in his tone.

Ryou shook his head as he set down the sheet into the burlap sack with the other folded clothes. 

“Nothing, thank you for helping me is all,” He stepped closer just to be beside Malik.

His partner hesitated, focused on trying to pair the right socks to their mates, and took a look up back at him again.

“Anything for you, Habibi,” He said matter factly, taking the chance to cup his face and run a thumb across his cheek.

This caused Ryou to cast his eyes downward with a light blush, reaching up to place his hand over Malik’s. The sight of that ugly scar engraved into his pale skin only made the Arab’s heartache.

\--  
When they finally finished up it was late afternoon, almost the time when Yugi leaves work from Kaiba Corp. Ryou had decided it was a nice idea to save the C.C. Lemon drink for the mackerel they bought from the market yesterday to have for dinner with the leftover miso soup Yugi's mother had given them earlier in the week. All they had to do was make some rice and it'd be perfect. Malik quietly listened, nodding often as his partner spoke just to show acknowledgment towards him. 

Once they stopped in front of the motorcycle the Arab set the full sack of now freshly folded laundry down onto the luggage rack; this also included the bag from the conbini that was stored inside with the clothes for easier transportation. Ryou stood behind the rack and crouched down with both ends of the rope in hand and to begin tying the sack securely down so the hefty thing didn't tumble away when they drove off. 

"What would you like to do when we get home?" Ryou asked, taking great focus on how tightly he was knotting the rope. 

Malik slipped the helmet off one of the handlebars and watched the delicate male's intricate moving fingers. He paused, taking a moment to think back and remembered the sinking feeling during the visit to the cemetery. 

"...I think I'm going to call my sister," He almost said in thought. 

He refocused on the situation once he saw Ryou stand back up and held the helmet out to him. The flower boy took it and bowed his head to show gratitude. 

"I think she'd really like hearing from you," He agreed with the decision. 

Ryou's smile was hidden from inside the helmet when he put it on. He thought it was a nice gesture since Malik had missed his family's calls for the past two days. He expressed that he preferred just texting back then to be inundated with questions and concerns. The Ishtar siblings loved their baby brother to death. And it was only natural for them to worry, considering Malik's poor mental health and all. 

He waited for Ryou to fasten the helmet correctly before purposely pushing the sun visor part of the down over his eyes just to tease him. 

"Hey!" He squawked out with a laugh and hopped on the back when Malik sat down in the driver's seat. 

He pulled the small key out of his jeans pocket and into the ignition. He allowed the engine to rev up a few times and cozied his back into Ryou's chest when he felt his partner's arms back around.

"Let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idol group I had in mind when mentioning was Infinite and their song called Chaser. Because it legit sounds like an anime opening and apparently when the song first came out it was a worldwide hit. Everybody knew the dance moves to this song. I even remember it when I was a teenager. 
> 
> conbini is cute slang used for the convenience store. :)
> 
> When researching Arabic sweets I kept getting malban as a result. And apparently it's like fruit jelly, grape molasses?
> 
> I decided on Amane's features from this popular picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/297730225349342788/ <\-- I thought it was fitting because it kinda mixes the different pigments Ryou is given throughout series. 
> 
> The Jizo headstones also came from when I was researching children's headstones in Japan and thought it was fitting because Amane would have been in at least elementary school when she died.
> 
> I picture Malik learning English from American pop culture since it's so prominent everywhere. Him speaking Japanese better than reading it came from a headcanon I liked.


	2. Night Terror

It felt like he was drowning. Suffocating. A foul smog surrounded his entire being. Different shades of purples illuminated around him. Unable to break free from the hidden horrors of the darkness that never seemed to fully leave his soul. Beyond the paralyzing ache that ran through his bones, a voice lingered in the back of his mind. It felt worse than any blow to the head he had ever received. This voice was too close for comfort; that condescending tone he so desperately wished would disappear. It was unclear what was being spoken, the words were too muddled to interpret. The voice soon surpassed a whisper and became much louder, much heavier in its tone. And then it gradually sounded like there was more than one voice. It rattled his brain to the core as the voices began chanting in unison. A language he didn’t fully understand but sounded so familiar. Wait a moment, was this Arabic? The chanting began to die down as an unsettling pounding noise had consumed the rallying call. He physically felt his worthless body start to shake from the impact of the chilling booming sound of the unknown. It was coming closer. And closer. And clos--

His own heavy breathing is what woke Ryou up from his pathetic attempt at a good night’s sleep. His slender frame sprung itself up from beneath the covers as he instinctively threw the top blanket off of him to allow his overheated body to cool down. He had broken into a cold sweat. It wasn’t unusual for him to awaken like this. He arched his back to hide his face into his trembling hands, taking a deep breath to try to soothe himself. It wasn’t until his mind had calmed down where he realized that the pounding noise had followed him into his waking life. A chill went down his spine as he cringed when the bed lightly shook from whatever forces were behind his wall. He sparsely separated his fingers, keeping his hands firmly against his face to take a peek of what could possibly be haunting his bedroom. Nothing.

And with that Ryou found enough courage to drop his limp hands onto the sheets as his brown eyes tried to focus on the reality of his situation. He took a look around, gazing at the items in his room. What looked like a human skull peered down at him from above a large bookshelf. Ah, he was home. As his breathing leveled out so did his train of thought, figuring out that the troubling banging noises were from this realm. The ability to connect back with his consciousness caused a crash of relief to settle within him. The wary young man had a hunch to the whereabouts of the chaos. He hopped out of bed, bare feet touching the cool wooden floor. It felt nice. It meant that his mind was momentarily grounded. It was easy to follow the trail of the disturbing racket when it was only a spits throw away. The neighboring door was already cracked halfway open. Before the ghostly white male was able to peek over the threshold an almost animalistic sound greeted him when he neared closer. It sounded like retching. It was so aggressive, demonic in nature. 

His bold hands pushed the door fully open as he got a complete view of the battleground that used to be an ordinary bedroom. Everything that you could possibly imagine was either destroyed or in disarray. The box spring and mattress were pulled apart and slanted against the wall. The desk tipped over and lay on its side along with whatever books and stationery that was once placed on top of it. The neck of the lamp bent and bulb inside still lit flickering, very dimly as it was damaged from the impact when it hit the floor. Amongst other things, the drawers to the dresser were all pulled out. A couple upside down on the floor, as they seemed fitting there. It complimented the rest of the disordered mess. The mirror hanging above the dresser was no more as the glass of it was scattered into many pieces. Only leaving a few good sized chunks remaining. There was a muscular body hunched over, face down into the floorboards; like it was a pitiful attempt to camouflage into the discarded pieces of clothes and bedding that were thrown around. A head of golden locks was all that could be seen at first glance, besides the beautiful bronze skin of a bareback. With the etching of hieroglyphs visible in faded ink. The posture of the man was quite strange. It looked like a position of prayer, especially with his face directly hidden into the floor like that. Instead, his palms flatly placed against the floor they were squeezed tightly into fists. And it concluded where that vile retching was coming from. It sounded like he was in utter agony.

Ryou was unsure what to do. He stood frozen in the doorway, soaking up all of this mayhem. It was not hard to tell that his flatmate had another psychotic meltdown. That was the second mirror replaced from the last time this sort of thing happened. It was the norm in this household. Just like how it was for Ryou’s insomnia. In all honesty, he wanted to touch him. He wanted to caress his hands onto his alluring dark complexion as a way to tell him everything was okay. But was too afraid of how far into his psyche he was. There have been times where Malik didn’t recognize Ryou. These were occasions where the Egyptian didn’t recognize himself. Perhaps, that was because, maybe. He wasn’t himself during these intervals. Instead of risking it Ryou stayed still, silently observing. That painful growling soon converted into a type of sob, whimpering. In other words, defeat. Malik was surrendering. The slender framed man could just tell by how his tanned fists slowly loosened up and repositioned into the proper manner with his palms flat against the floor. Whispering in Arabic, probably pleading. 

“Is Malik alright?” A voice suddenly spoke behind Ryou.

It practically made him jump out of his skin from fright causing his body to jolt up and swiftly spin around to meet eyes with his other roommate.

“Yugi!” He gasped, placing a hand over his chest in relief. 

“Thank goodness it’s just you!” He exhaled, closing his eyes as he tried to relax.

The slightly shorter man nodded, curiosity displayed on his face while he bobbed and weaved behind his pasty colored friend. Trying to get a good glimpse at the jumbled up mess of a person on the floor. Ryou caught on to Yugi’s interest as he also turned back towards the bedroom to see the distressed Arab in the same posture, still unmoved. But now completely silent. Hopefully, he had calmed down. The gentle rebel had managed to squeeze next to him, watching on with concern and hesitated as he spoke. 

“I hope we don’t get another noise complaint,” Yugi frowned when he said this, not wanting to come across callous. 

Ryou certainly didn’t take it up like that. He understood perfectly what his friend meant. They were getting dangerously close to being reported again. It wasn’t just Malik’s episodes to blame. Things in the apartment got pretty rowdy when drinking was involved. Which again, wasn’t unheard of. Even though it was more than a dumb idea for the Egyptian to be mixing liqueur with his psyche medication. It’s most likely the fuel for this recent breakdown. Seeing that nothing was changing Yugi looked up at his roommate to excuse himself.

“Should I leave? So you could handle it,” He suggested gently.

Ryou sighed, taking a moment to rationalize the situation in his head before slowly nodding in agreement. Knowing that it’d be cruel just to leave Malik alone like this. The downside was that he didn’t really care for the former King of Games. Well, maybe that was a harsh way of putting it. He liked Yugi, he just didn’t trust him as he did with Ryou. It was still believed that the Arab held some resentment towards Yugi because of Atem. Not necessarily because of his childhood with being a tomb keeper. The flower boy supposed it was because Yugi was the most well-rounded between the three of them. Malik never formally admitted it, but it was evident that he was at least a tad bit jealous of their flatmate being the more fortunate one to have never been damaged by the spirit of his millennium item. 

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Ryou’s tone weary.

Without another word Yugi gave his friend a pat on the back before making himself scarce, heading back to his room. Leaving the peculiar young man alone with sagged shoulders on the threshold, eyes still on Malik’s defeated form. He tip-toed into the disheveled room and crouched down to be on his level. The feeling of somebody else’s presence close by finally drew a reaction out of panic-struck Egyptian. Malik pushed himself up using his hand and sat on his knees. His eyes were crystal clear, which was a good sign. It meant that he was aware of his surroundings.

“Ryou! _Hamdullah!_ ” His tone was enthusiastic, grabbing onto the other man’s slimmer frame and hugged him unbearably tight. 

It caused the flower boy to wince and grew an unnerved smile as he wrapped his arms around Malik’s solid waist. The Arab clasped onto Ryou’s oversized shirt, tugging at the fabric like if he let go he’d fall into a pit or disappear. He had buried his face into the crook of his neck having him get lost in a clump of white hair. Ryou sat there patiently, finding great comfort in also being held. He found himself running his fingers down Malik’s broad shoulders and down the middle of his back. 

“Tell me what happened,” Ryou whispered into the other’s ear.

There was no answer as the only response Malik gave was another tight squeeze, pressing as close to his pale flesh as he possibly could. The silence caused Ryou to absentmindedly glance around the room. Taking in all the discomfort that came with the debris. He ran his hand through his gold locks and massaged into the back of his neck, knowing that Malik liked that. 

“Did he come to pay you a visit again?” He asked softly, referring to the broken mirror as he took note of all the discharged shards near the dresser.

There was a simple nod to this question. Ryou couldn’t see it because of how buried Malik had his face into his chest but he could feel the way he shook his head against the skin. It was an ongoing occurrence for the Egyptian to see his altar in the mirror, they shared a face after all. Ryou stayed put in the embrace as he placed his hand on the back of his partner’s head, subconsciously protecting him. After a few minutes had passed Malik finally stirred and sat back upright. They made eye-contact. His face drained of energy, Ryou was ashamed to say that he liked this version of him the best. It was because Malik was the most vulnerable when like this, more honest. It was his true form; stripped away from the thick-skin he pretended to have. The thug image he portrayed was gone for now. 

“He was controlling my shadow, so I tried to scare him off,” He confessed, darting his eyes away and ran his own hand through his hair before dropping his arm down to his side. 

“I see, is that why you broke the mirror? So he couldn’t see you?”

“ _No_ , so I couldn’t see _him,_ ” Malik answered with emphasis.

Ryou nodded, taking a good look around again as he felt dread seep into his bones. It was going to take forever to clean this mess up. When it only took the crazed Arab a few minutes to destroy. He tried not to get frustrated, there was no point. What had happened was done and over it. 

“Can I help you in any way?” Ryou tilted his head, turning back to face his partner.

This made Malik give a sincere smile, leaning over and stretched his body to reach the more delicate man’s face to kiss his lips gently.

“Stay with me,” He placed his hands onto his pale cheeks to kiss again.

\--

They decided to migrate to the common area of the apartment, avoiding the headache that came from the bedroom. It was a little living room with a tinier kitchen attached to it. Just enough to fit a couch, coffee table, and a television with a gaming system Yugi brought with him from home. They settled back down on the floor so it was easier to lounge together. Ryou sat crisscrossed with Malik’s head comfortably in his lap, laying on his back with eyes closed. The earthy aroma of burning cedar lingered from the kitchen island. The flower boy had suggested it was for the best to do a bit of smudging just in case there were some unwanted spirits wandering around their flat. Not just because of his partner’s meltdown; he wanted to take extra precaution making sure his bad dream didn’t lead to any more unwelcomed visits. 

“You think the thief taunts you in your sleep?” 

There was a hint of amusement when Malik asked this, his facial expression was now pleasantly calm as he was enjoying the other man’s gentle touches to his head. The more delicate partner couldn’t help but always found himself fiddling with the many earrings that the Egyptian had accumulated over time. He counted once, there was about eight ear-piercing altogether. They were either diamond studs or fourteen character gold hoops. He recalled how he had to talk Malik out of getting a navel piercing once, not because he disapproved of the piercing itself. It was about the cost of it. He couldn’t keep wasting money on body modification when rent was due. 

“Of course I do! You know as well as I do that he is more than spiteful,” Ryou sounded a bit uppity as he gently twisted the backing to one of his earrings. 

A smug grin slowly stretched across Malik’s lips, hands neatly folded against his chest. 

“I’m not denying it. He’d just have to be bored to tears to want to get a rise out of you for no reason.”

Ryou’s eyes dulled out of annoyance as he slipped his hands away and rested his palms into tatami flooring. 

“Well, wouldn’t you be bored to tears if you were reduced to nothing more than a pile of sand and forced to spend eternity in the shadow realm?” His words were slick with sarcasm.

It didn’t dampen Malik’s content mood in the slightest as he cracked open his eyes, staring up at Ryou tenderly. He raised one of his arms and searched out for his partner’s hand by feeling around on the floor. Once he found his hand he held onto it loosely and kissed the udjat eye that was tattooed to his slender wrist. Branding his porcelain skin didn’t seem to fit the modest appearance that Ryou liked to showcase to the world. It was an exception though since there was a purpose behind the symbol in this case. Yugi had the same exact tattoo drawn on the back of his leg. It was to synchronize their unison together as they both faced similar trials and tribulations. 

“Don’t stop touching,” He purred, eyes gleaming blissfully as he proceeded to kiss the blaring scar on his palm.

Ryou blushed faintly, knowing very well if he allowed Malik would trail his lips to wherever he pleased, which included the favored parts of his body that were unmentionable. He followed his demand as he used his fingertips to trace the outline of his sharp jawline. Starting from his sideburns and down around to his chin. His features were so striking, Ryou had never seen such a handsome bone structure like Malik’s before. 

“If the thief is taunting you it’s most likely because your body belongs to me now and not him,” He said in jest, closing his eyes once more.

His partner didn’t find humor in the joke as it only jabbed at a sore bruise of insecurity Ryou never seemed to be able to fully heal. He was aware of the toxic relationship Malik and the thief possessed at one point; and how it involved his unconscious body. It didn’t make him hold a grudge against Malik, no, not at all. He had the capability to understand and forgive for past mistakes. The Arab was more than willing to show humiliation and guilt over what he had done. It’s just that it didn’t take away the anguish that came with the truth of the matter. Thankfully, the sound of soft padded footsteps prevented the flower boy from continuing with the conversion any further as Yugi shyly appeared in the common area. He knew the gentle rebel for years now but he always looked unrecognizable when his hair wasn’t spiked up like it was now. He didn’t enter the living room at first, heading into the kitchen and opened the fridge to fetch a few cans of Coca-Cola before walking into the space where his friends were. He handed over a can to Ryou and placed the second can down next to Malik’s relaxed body. He plopped down onto the floor across from the couple, sitting behind the television and popped open the tab of soda to take a sip. 

“I’m glad to see that you guys are alright,” He said, trying to feel the vibe of the room. 

Seeing that there was company Malik sat up to separate himself from Ryou’s lap and scooted back a bit to rest against the back of the couch, staying seated on the floor next to his partner. His face showed some indifference as he laid his arms on the sofa cushions, stretching them out as an attempt to act casual. 

“Thanks,” The Egyptian gave a lazy shrug.

Ryou’s eyes closed as he smiled, still feeling anxious.

“Yugi, can I ask you something?” He picked up the can of Coca-Cola, unsure if he actually wanted to drink it or not. 

His eccentric friend raised a brow in surprise, pulling the edge of the can away from his lips before lowering it into his lap.

“Sure, anything,” He answered, fidgeting with the tab on the soda.

“Has Atem ever visited you in your dreams?” He asked sincerely.

Without purposely trying to offend anybody Malik let out some kind of snarky snort; only to be rightfully rewarded with a glare from Ryou. His smug expression dropped rapidly when realizing he had upset his beloved. Yugi watched the interaction in awkwardness as he took his time to ponder.

“Well, sometimes I think he does. But, I’m not positive if it’s truly him or just my subconscious remembering him. If that makes sense?”

Ryou listened intently, he thought the same thing but was certain that his old companion he had no loveless for was visiting him at night. 

“No, it makes perfect sense,” He glanced at Malik from the corner of his eyes when he felt the other man’s fingers brush through the long strands of hair from the back of his head.

“Forgive me,” He mouthed the words.

This didn’t impress the flower boy much as he was far more fascinated in the exchange he was having with his friend, panning his dark brown eyes back to Yugi.

“Why? Have you been seeing the spirit of the ring in your dreams lately?” Yugi continued on, worrisome. 

“I’m not sure exactly, that’s why I wanted to ask you. The thief takes pleasure in mind games, he’d never make his intentions obvious like Atem would.”

Ryou glanced down at his soda in thought, getting enjoyment out of the kneading his partner was doing. 

“Why don’t you ask next time?” Yugi said after a long pause.

This struck Ryou odd, lifting his head up and stared at his friend perplexed.

“What?” Malik scoffed. 

“The spirit of the ring. If he’s really there, why don’t you just ask him?” 

The gentle rebel fell silent, getting the hint that he was the odd one out in this circumstance amongst the three of them. To be fair, it did sound stupid from the surface but he had a point. What if Ryou did so happen to remember to ask the King of Thieves if he was actually there or not? It was worth a shot at least. 

“No, I think that’s not a bad idea. I’ll try it next time,” Ryou said in a gentle tone, trying to ease his friend’s concern of feeling foolish.

Yugi’s face lit up in pleasant surprise. 

“Really? I mean, I only suggested it because I’d do the same,” Yugi pointed to himself, still holding the can of soda with his free hand. 

Malik rolled his eyes, unimpressed by the whole discussion as he wrapped a long piece of white hair around his finger and slowly unraveled it and repeated the process out of boredom. Ryou didn’t show it but he was growing tired of his partner’s attitude, getting his point across by slipping his head away from him and leaned his body forward to avoid his touch. 

“Hey, do you want to camp out here for the rest of the night?” Ryou started crawling over Yugi. 

“Sure! I don’t see why not? I’ll gather some pillows?” He genuinely sounded excited, the kid in him never seemed to die out. 

“And I’ll get the blankets,” His pale friend added.

“Alright, I’m stoked!” He had set his soda onto the coffee table and hopped up from the floor.

Before Yugi disappeared into the hallway he directed his attention towards the sulking Arab. 

“Hey Malik, are you sleeping out here with us too?”

Before he could open his mouth Ryou answered for him.

“Of course, where else will he sleep?” He caught eyes with Malik, giving him that dull look again.

“Ah, heh. I guess you’re right,” A broad nervous grin appeared on his face as he rubbed the back of his head. 

How could he possibly forget about his roommate’s trashed room? Out of embarrassment Yugi quickly trotted his way back to his bedroom. When the cost was clear Malik looked over his shoulder to make sure they were finally alone again.

“Hey, what’s your problem?” He turned his body to face the slim figure of his partner that had now taken Yugi’s spot on the floor.

“Pardon me?” He came back with the same attitude. 

Malik narrowed his eyes in annoyance. 

“Don’t play dumb, Ryou. What’s your deal?”

Their eyes locked, neither of them impressed with each other's actions. Malik watched the flower boy keenly as he stretched his back and grabbed back onto the soda can he was originally holding from earlier, giving it a good hard shake before snapping it open and aimed it towards Malik. The fizzy, sticky soft drink exploded straight onto his bare torso and some of his face. It caught the Egyptian completely off guard, he was appalled and stiffened in place.

“Ryou! What the actual hell!” His eyes were wide and mouth agape as the sugary liquid began to drip down his chest. 

IIt was an attractive sight for sure and a nice contrast from earlier, honestly. They both deserved a bit of fun. And the shocked expression of his lover struck the man funny as a laugh escaped his mouth. This only flustered the Arab further as it just took him a second to grab onto his frail arm playfully. Ryou jerked it away with ease and held the soda back up to Malik comically like it was some sort of a weapon.

“It’s for being a _hemar!_ ” He took the opportunity to insult him in Arabic. 

Malik couldn’t take him seriously as he broke character and cracked a smile. He felt reassured knowing that however he upset Ryou at least he was being a good sport about it. 

“Hey!” He pointed towards him sharply, leaning in closer to grab a hold of his arm again and snatched the can to toss it aside.

“Don’t use my native tongue against me,” His voice lowered in a dangerous tone, getting close enough to brush his lips against his cheek.

Despite the grip Malik had on his arm it didn’t stop Ryou from turning away from him with his mouth forming a tight line in disappointment; folding his arms against his chest.

“You’re the one who taught it to me. You are the only one to blame,” He said teasing, resisting the nibbling he felt on his neck from the fickle man.

“You should feel honored. I’m sure the thief has called you that plenty of times,” Ryou continued bitterly, knowing that the two must have conversed in the same language. 

The accusation caused Malik to bite down just harsh enough to get a small whine out of the more delicate partner. He licked over the bite mark and sat up straight, giving him a defiant look straight at him. Ryou was unmoved, giving him the cold shoulder. 

“You say it so much better,” He said snidely, wiping his wet lips with the back of his hand.

Malik kept pulling at his arm to force the other to look over at him. Ryou didn’t budge. The tug of war stopped when Yugi abruptly walked back into the common area and stood there holding the bundle of pillows and a giant stuffed Marshmallon plush in his arms. 

“What’d I miss?” Yugi peeked his face from behind the stuffie.

He blinked in confusion and took a cautious step back when the Egyptian stood and brushed past him.

“I’ll go get the blankets,” His tone dry, shoving his hands into his pants pockets as he headed back towards the bedroom.

The gentle rebel stepped foot on the tatami mats of the living room and threw the pillows and Marshmallon down humorously in a cluster. The two friends unintentionally gazed at one another. For Yugi it was easy to see that Ryou’s gentle face was distressed even if he was a master at masking his true emotions. 

“Have you ever felt like the spirit of the millennium puzzle was more well liked than you?” Ryou’s saddened eyes looked up at him as he spoke.

Yugi frowned at the comment, trying to comprehend what could have been possibly said while he was gone but was too distracted by their surroundings. 

“I’ll answer you, but can I ask you something first?”

Ryou hesitated, wondering what could be so dire and slowly nodded in response.

“Why is the floor sticky?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe that what inspired me to write was my downstairs neighbor waking up at 1 am from a sound sleep because he was having a drunken rage fit? I've been researching and reading up on these characters so much when I woke up I thought I was being haunted. LMAO
> 
> I didn't originally plan on Malik beginning to pray. When I was writing the description I realized it was a lot like how Muslims show faith and liked the idea of when somebody is feeling that much despair that they convert back to their upbringing.
> 
> Hamdullah pretty much means "Thank God!" in Arabic.
> 
> Smudging is a term used when burning herbs to cleanse energy. I picked cedar instead of sage because it's used to ward off spirits or bad influences. 
> 
> I didn't know the exact lore to Thief Bakura's so I had to visit his wiki and I was hysterical when it said he was turned to sand and had to reference it. Also, I know the shadow realm doesn't technically exist but I like the idea of it. 
> 
> Ryou having matching udjat eye tattoos with Yugi actually came from a post I saw ages ago on tumblr where two best friends did the same thing, but with the millennium ring and puzzle.
> 
> I really like the idea of Malik having a shit ton of ear-piercing for some reason? I'm not sure why maybe because I'm fond of them myself.
> 
> From what I gathered hemar means jackass. 
> 
> Coca-Cola is really popular in Japan. ;D
> 
> Besides the udjat eye on his ankle, Yugi also has an ankh on his arm and also a tiny colorful scarab tattooed behind his ear.


	3. Beloved Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The road is long  
> With many a winding turn  
> That leads us to who knows where  
> Who knows where  
> But I'm strong  
> Strong enough to carry him  
> He ain't heavy, he's my brother
> 
> It's a long, long road  
> From which there is no return  
> While we're on the way to there  
> Why not share  
> And the load  
> Doesn't weigh me down at all  
> He ain't heavy he's my brother
> 
> So on we go  
> His welfare is of my concern  
> No burden is he to bear  
> We'll get there

Lavender eyes had stared at neatly written Arabic on the elegant looking stationery paper for so long that it felt like he had burned holes through it by now. Malik had reread the letter his precious brother Rishid had sent him about a dozen times or more. The paper was a sturdy material and had a refined gold foil border around it to make it look more appealing. It was a wedding announcement. He was in complete awe when first receiving the letter in the mail at first. He was more than aware that his brother was officially dating a woman back home in Cairo. Malik was happy to know that Rishid had finally found some type of happiness, after all the hardships he has been through. How he was forced to be his grotesque little brother’s shadow for so many painful years. His brother was more than deserving of love; he was an honorable man. A patient man. A man with an unwavering soul. And Malik absolutely hated himself for how long it took his pea-sized brain to really appreciate such a wonderful, strong-willed and gracious human being his elder brother actually was. He was a man that Malik only dreamed of being but will never hold enough grace to require the true amount of skill that his brother mastered. Rishid exuded true masculinity. He was rugged on the surface but had a heart of pure gold inside his beating chest. Only a true child of the Gods would be able to survive the gruesome abuse such as Rishid and come out unscarved. There wasn’t a day that passed by where Malik wasn’t envious of his precious brother’s strength. And oh, how he loved him.

Malik ran a thumb across the lettering written in black ink. Rishid’s handwriting was always so immaculate too. He remembered as a child when his brother would help teach him that he spent a lot of time perfecting his grammar. It was so dumb to even be remesining such a trivial thing like letter placement. He shook his head at the thought, smirking at himself of how foolish he was. There was no other way to describe it, other than Malik felt a sinking feeling within himself. Both somber and a tinge of warmth. A sense of relief that his brother was able to live a normal life when for years the thought of being destined only for a life of subservient to an ungrateful brat like himself was his foreseen future. Malik believed that hell was beneath the soil. Because he had gotten a taste of it from having the upbringing as a tomb keeper. 

He folded the letter back into fours and securely tucked it back into the pocket of his jumpsuit. It was his uniform, The Egyptian worked at a garage as a mechanic. He couldn’t bear working the cushy job at Domino City museum. He didn’t earn that position as Ryou did. Nor was he cut out for a white-collar job. When first arriving in Japan to live, his sister Isis had easily gotten him a position working a similar job description as his more delicate partner. And after a few months, he quit. He no longer wanted to take advantage of his siblings' helpful nature and how he loathed them supporting him constantly like he was a childlike he was incapable. It was inexcusable. He didn’t move out of the country to continue to be coddled. He wanted to be more independent and reliable. More like Rishid. 

Malik was lucky enough to nab a job at a garage like this. It was low maintenance when it came to formalities and independently owned. The Arab wasn’t asked a lot of questions and happened to be at the place at the right time to where the owner offered if he was willing to work. It was no secret that the first love of his life was his motorcycle; and with that came great knowledge of engines and other technical information that went with owning such a luxury like his chopper. Malik recalled spending all his free time in his younger years reading up on the ins and outs of the working part that was so fascinating about vehicles. Truth be told, he favored motorbikes the most but he also enjoyed anything that had a motor attached to it. He wasn’t a licensed mechanic but his hobby gave him the head start to earn himself a paycheck with a trade he self taught.

He got up from the curbside he was sitting on originally when revisiting the letter from his brother. He stuck his hand carefully into his pocket just to make sure the piece of paper was deep enough so it wouldn’t get lost when he moved about. Even before opening it, Malik knew the letter contained something important considering that he and his brother talked every single day. Mainly through text or email. And a phone call now and then, depending on how confident enough the younger Ishtar was feeling that day. At times, hearing Rishid’s voice only made Malik feel incredibly regretful. It was the same with Isis. Their younger brother had trouble speaking with them over the phone because he was a coward. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to hear from them. Or that he didn’t care. He just didn’t want to feel like they had to worry about him. He was sick and tired of being a constant burden for them. So, it was hard to face them. And to an extent, Malik believed that his siblings understood that. He pulled his smartphone out and clicked the menu button to have the screen light up and show the time. He was still on break and had a few minutes to himself before returning back to work. The museum was only a few blocks away, walking distance. And it would be nice to see Ryou, it was around the time he also had a lunch break. After slipping his phone into the opposite pocket not to disturb the letter, he started heading off to pay the flower boy a visit. 

Once he reached the inside of the building was no problem. None of the employees questioned his identity. They already knew who he was, not just because he previously worked there but also because his older sister had been a loyal contributor to the museum ever since she became an Egyptologist. Hence, why it was so easy for him to land a job here. Isis made a career out of their heritage. Something her kid brother had no desire doing. As for Ryou, he was also very educated in the history of Egypt. And because of this it made it easy for the couple to understand each other. It was obvious that Malik was well versed in scripture and the ancestry of his people than most modern commodities. It was refreshing for the Arab to express his childhood memories without feeling self conscious or looked at as odd. Because even if Ryou didn’t fully understand it, he was familiar enough to fill in the blanks at times during the conversation. He wasn’t a stranger to his partner’s culture and it was a breath of fresh air. Thanks to his father who was once an antique dealer and now the owner of the museum. Ryou had told his partner that after the tragedy of the death of his mother and sister, he and his father moved to Cairo at one point in his childhood. His father also had an obsession with the millennium items which is the main reason for the poor soul to have been possessed by the spirit of the ring, to begin with. The King of Thieves didn’t want the feeble old bastard’s body. No, he preferred Ryou's; it was more fresh and naive, easier to control. Malik never told Ryou upfront but just the thought of them being so close during their childhood gave him sentimental feeling. The peculiar young man was a great support to the formal criminal. And knowing that his gentle presence was around at the most horrific part of his life gave him a sense of great comfort; imagining his beloved roaming around the surface world while his younger self was trapped underground. Only the earth separating them momentarily. Ryou was the only reason for Malik to believe in destiny. 

The Egyptian had no need to search for the flower boy, they just so happened to bump into each other in the main lobby of the first floor near the reception desk. They stood parallel from one another. Ryou was looking dapper as ever with his hair tied back into a low pony-tail he typically only wore for work. The crisp starched material of his pinstriped collar shirt was folded neatly at the collar of his top and cuffs of his sleeves. He looked professional, like his job held importance. Like he was somebody. A complete contrast to Malik, who looked sloppy, probably smelled like motor oil. With the torso of his jumpsuit haphazardly pulled down and long sleeves tied around his waist as a weak attempt at cooling down his body that was overheating in the garment. He wore a black tank-top that only concealed part of the hieroglyphs carved into his back. Ryou looked mildly surprised to see his partner standing there and greeted him with a smile.

“Hello, Malik, what brings you here?” His tone was pleasant, curiosity plain in his expression.

“My brother sent me a letter this morning,” He easily answered, timidly avoiding his stare towards the other man. 

“Oh.”

Ryou nodded, unsure how Mailk was particularly feeling about this. He was aware of his partner’s emotions ran hot and cold when it came to the subject of his siblings. Or just his family as a whole. Fondness was thrown into the toxicity of past events. It was evident to say that the younger Ishtar loved his brother dearly. Though, it didn’t stop the fact that it was unsettling to speak about. 

“Rishid had informed me that he is to be married in the summer,” Malik explained with almost uncertainty, allowing their eyes to meet.

“Is that so? To Aisha no doubt. That’s great Malik! I’m so happy for you!” 

The smile broadened on Ryou’s face as this sounded like good news to him. He had only met Rishid a handful of times, mainly when visiting Cairo before Malik began living with him and Yugi in Japan. His brother was a quiet man and very doting to his younger siblings. Malik had bravely told him the horror stories of how his older brother was treated badly by not only his father but also by Malik himself during the most rebellious phase in his youth. Rishid had also treated Ryou very kindly as well, knowing that the Japanese boy had become important to his little brother. It was honestly nice to hear that the older man had found somebody to kindle spirits with. 

Malik just gave a low hum in response, glancing around the area before taking hold of his partner’s hand. Not wanting to discuss any further within the public. And Ryou understood this as he intertwined fingers with the Arab’s bare knuckles. It always felt weird holding hands with Malik when he wasn’t wearing an array of jewelry. He only took his rings off when working as it was a safety hazard to wear while playing around with engines. The more delicate partner was directed outside and into an alleyway, which was the closest spot of privacy they had at the moment. As soon as their feet touched the grimy asphalt he pulled out the letter and handed it over to the pair of pale hands beside him. Ryou took it without question and unfolded it, scanning his eyes over the language he didn’t understand, only recognizing some words before gently handing it back over to the Egyptian. 

“Rishid sounds happy--I mean, from the couple of words I was able to understand at least,” Ryou gave a weak shrug as he studied his partner’s face.

“Most importantly though…” He hesitated.

“How do you feel about it?”

That sinking, heavy feeling erupted back into his chest and down the pit of his stomach. Malik frowned deeply, leveling his eyes towards the ground and kicked a pebble that had found its way to the edge of his boot. His mind was indecisive on the matter. He felt a mixture of emotions when it came to the announcement of his brother’s marriage. Aisha was her name, which was fitting for her since it was shared with the prophet’s favorite wife. She was no tomb keeper’s daughter, she was not a part of any clan. Aisha was born to surface dwellers. And was a traditional Islamic woman. She was the kind of woman that a typical man of their region would dream of starting a family with. She was honestly suitable for Rishid in that regard, who still held true to many of their culture’s beliefs. Unlike his younger brother who believed in living a more alternative lifestyle. Despite these mixed feelings the wish Malik longed for the most was for his brother to one day find his own path in life that didn’t involve constantly having to fear the wellbeing of him any longer. After their family’s duty of being tomb keepers was over; Malik was dedicated to helping find Rishid a proper love interest. As his brother vaguely hinted on the subject of marriage more times than he could count. Rishid was not to blame for his desires, it was only natural. Especially in their culture since it was expected to be married in early adulthood. Malik’s purpose of wanting his brother married was not just for the sake of him but also for the younger Ishtar’s own selfish wants of independence. And perhaps this is the reasoning behind these muddled emotions. 

Looking back at it now, Malik was more than stupid to think that he was capable of guiding Rishid into finding a life partner. In his younger years, the Arab found excitement at night clubs and other scenes that consisted of the racy city lifestyle that he still admittedly liked to indulge in from time to time. But, this kind of thing was not for his older brother. He was far classier than the gold-digging women that came with the dangers of street life. All those crazy nights in the town was of course Malik finding himself into some kind of trouble with his guardian Rishid right behind him to bail him out. Those weren’t the young man’s proudest moments. And how he still regretted them. He was in fact glad to know that his loving brother was able to find a woman who fits his needs. 

“I’m very happy for him,” He finally spoke after a long period of silence.

Malik’s voice was weak when he said this along with also sounding more self-assured this time around, Ryou believed his word. Which made him feel fondness towards his partner. Malik perked his head up to make eye contact with those alluring brown eyes. 

“My brother stated in the letter that he and Aisha would come to pay us a visit at the end of Ramadan, so we could celebrate accordingly,” He continued, taking a step closer to Ryou, brushing the strand of white hair that had escaped from his pony-tail.

“I’ll be excited to meet Aisha,” Ryou admitted, interlocking fingers with Malik once more when he lowered his hand back down to his side.

“I am too,” The other man agreed with him.

Malik had not met his brother’s partner in person yet. He only had knowledge of Aisha by however Rishid described her as and of the occasional photographs that were sent. He had seen and spoken with Aisha awkwardly through a webcam call once. And after that, she had only just become a depiction. Despite what the younger Ishtar knew about this woman Isis had the honor of meeting her and had spent plenty of days doing various activities with Aisha in the hopes of making her feel welcomed with some quality time. His sister had told him that she was a lovely girl and was sincere in her intentions towards their brother. And that put Malik’s heart at ease.

\--  
Ever since being informed Malik had his brother’s arrival written on the calendar in the kitchen in big red letters, in Arabic, and a heart drawn within the small dated box. Added after Yugi had teased him about acting much happier since knowing about Rishid and his fiancee visiting Japan. The Egyptian didn’t put much thought into at first, but thinking it through he could say that maybe his roommate was right. Even with the wavering feelings towards his beloved brother, he did miss him greatly. He could never forget at one point in his life Rishid was the only person he could depend on, even if it was out of the older man’s expense. And how grateful Malik was for that now. He had aged and was able to see past his vicious ways. 

They would arrive late in the morning which was a perfect plan since the family would have plenty of time to cook for the iftar, the meal is eaten after sunset for Ramadan. Isis would not join them until later on that day because of business obligations; which was okay. Malik and Ryou had bought more than plenty of groceries to start some of the cooking. It was impractical to have his brother and Aisha stay in their cramped little apartment that was a grade-A bachelor pad. It was Isis’s idea to have the whole family stay at the decent sized condo she kept payment for in Domino City from when the three siblings still lived together and traveled often. There were three bedrooms which would accommodate everybody staying over. Granted, it wasn’t ideal for the couples to be sharing rooms. 

Malik could already tell that him, Ryou and his brother would all end up in the same bedroom so the ladies of the family would be able to have their privacy. As modesty was to be expected and Rishid did everything by the books. The younger Ishtar was sure that his older brother had not laid a finger on his fiancee, not just because of his own timidness but because it was in their teaching that it was uncouth to so before marriage. And even if that wasn’t Malik’s bag. He did respect Rishid for his choices in beliefs. The former Tomb Keeper would be damn to follow such a foolish regiment. His soul was already tainted so what was the point to even abide by such rules anyway? It wasn’t going to stop him from getting gratification from drinking alcohol and having hot passionate sex with his male lover. And none of that was a secret either. His siblings knew about the relationship with Ryou and were supportive of them. Malik had skinned their father alive, the least of their concern was what he chose to do between the sheets. The siblings’ goal was just to see their little brother sane, safe, and happy. Which he very much seemed to be. And that’s all that mattered. 

Isis was the ringleader to this whole gathering even if she wasn’t present and miles away. She had paid a rental car for them to use while Rishad and Aisha were visiting. Malik would play the role of chauffeur with Ryou as his sidekick in the whole ordeal. They would be picking up his brother and partner at the airport. They waited outside the building for them when the time came closer for their plane to land both of them hopped out of the car. Malik clutched the key in his hand as he tiredly folded his arms in a lying position on top of the car’s roof as he watched on towards the door, waiting for the tall figure of his brother to walk out. Ryou stood on the other side, standing directly in front of the passenger’s seat door and had his phone out. Texting Yugi the not so exciting details of staying patient. He twirled around and pointed his camera lens towards the Arab’s exhausted looking face.

“May I take a picture of you?” He asked gently, nudging the smartphone closer up to him.

“Are you sending it to Yugi?” He asked back, dryly with a slow blink.

“Perhaps,” Ryou didn’t want to commit knowing how Malik was.

Without any other explanation, his partner twisted his face into an ugly cheeky expression as he stuck his tongue out and winked, almost mimicking his alter’s menacing gestures. The flower boy snapped the photo anyway. Knowing that he’d only get a similar pose again if he asked to retake it. 

“Why are you like this?” He asked in amusement, sending the photo to the chat he was in with Yugi. 

Right away he was sent back a very unflattering selfie of Yugi; pressing his face so close to the camera lens he was all forehead and was able to see straight up his nose. What topped it off was how he made the goofiest of grins. Ryou held back a laugh at this and miserably failed as he turned the phone around for Malik to see the picture as well. 

A crooked smile tugged the corner of his lips and shook his head at the ridiculousness of the photo. 

"He's so dumb," Malik said in jest, actually finding great amusement in it as well. 

Just before Ryou could turn the phone away another image popped up in the chat, this time with Jonouchi distorting his face into that weird chin thing he does. Malik didn't have an inkling of interest at this point as his full attention was back on the automatic doors that slid open and revealed Rishid's towering frame and a very pretty faced Egyptian woman next to him. She is what you would expect a woman from their region of the world to be; clothed in a beautiful dusty pink abaya dress with a cream color lace embroidered in the midsection of the garb and along the edges of the sleeves. The shayla she wore was sheer and the same color as the lace, it was easy to see her dark brown hair through such thin material. She was also quite pale compared to the dark complexion of the Ishtar family. Though, Malik thought her skin tone and hair complemented her emerald green eyes. She had looked exactly like she did the photos that were exchanged. And hopefully, she was as wonderful as Rishid had described her. 

As for his brother, he looked just the same as the younger Ishtar had remembered him as. Nothing seemed to change about Rishid even after all these years. Even his wardrobe. Malik remembered those exact shoes. They had purchased them together a few years back for some kind of function Isis was being acknowledged for. 

“Rishid!” Malik called out in great joy, beginning to wave at them with both hands as they appeared. 

“Malik!” The older man responded with just as much excitement, waving back and setting down the two suitcases he was carrying to open his arms wide for his beloved brother.

“I’m so happy to see you, brother!” 

Malik’s voice sounded as light as a feather. It was unrecognizable to Ryou at first, he had never heard his partner sound so ecstatic before. The flower boy supposed this is how the two siblings acted when they were much younger. It was enjoyable to watch. Malik started sprinting towards his brother’s much larger build and practically threw himself into Rishid’s strong arms. The two interlocked in the tightest embrace imaginable, Malik laid into his chest much like a child would as he had his arms wrapped around him and cheek pressed against his upper arm. Rishid bent down on one knee to help hold him closer. He laid a hand over the back of his gold locks, cradling his brother as they hugged. It wasn’t their embrace that made this so endearing to witness. It was the sincerity in Rishid’s tender smile as he held Malik close to him. Ryou only knew from what he was told by the Arab. But he could just tell that the Ishtar bond was unbreakable. 

Aisha stood there politely, smiling gently as she watched on. Keeping her place beside Rishid as she took a step back from the two to make sure she didn’t get run over in the process. As for Ryou, he felt like a bit of an outsider getting a glimpse of the goings of the Ishtar clan. He thought it’d be best to stay put next to the car and secretly snapped a picture of the brothers cuddle to show his partner later on. During this moment Aisha caught eyes with the strange Japanese man as Ryou shyly flashed his charming smile at her and waved in her direction; which only caused her to do the same. She reminded Ryou a lot of Isis in her mannerism. 

“Let me see your face, ya Hayati. It has been too long,” Rishid spoke very softly and leaned back to get a good view of his younger brother’s face.

Malik lifted his head up at his brother’s request and immediately was struck with a sensation of warmth that was radiating within the older man’s being. It washed away the horrible sinking feeling he had made himself sick over for the past few weeks. Out of instinct, he nuzzled his cheek into Rishid’s much larger palm when cupped his face to examine it. 

“You haven’t been sleeping well, Malik,” He mused, taking notice of how distinct the dark circles under the younger man’s eyes were.

Rishid ran his thumb carefully across the corner of his eye to even out the smudged kohl. This made his brother frown, shaking his head slightly as he slipped his face out of his grasp, holding onto his wrist loosely. 

“Brother, please! When have I ever slept well!” Malik scoffed, glancing down to the ground with a pout and released the hold of his arm before reaching down to tie the loose strings to Rishid’s shoes. 

The younger Ishtar’s sudden attentiveness startled Rishid as he quickly began to stand up. He looked down at him worrisome and slowly dragged his foot away from his brother’s fingers.

“There is no need, I will do that,” He insisted, making eye-contact with Aisha from a side glance.

“It is no bother, Rishid! Please, allow me to help you,” Malik said flatly, finishing the knot he was tying.

He paused as he felt a gaze upon him. He looked up and was no sooner greeted by his sister-in-law’s gentle smile. He had not taken notice before but she seemed to be a lot younger than how Malik remembered her from photographs. Feeling foolish he shot up from the ground and wiped his hands onto his jeans before placing a hand over his chest, out of a sign of respect towards her.

“It is very nice to meet you in person finally, Aisha,” Malik composed a smile.

“As is it for me too. Rashid speaks very highly of you. And I could see why,” Aisha stretched her arm out for a handshake.

The compliment was already making Malik feel uneasy. Of course, Rishid would talk highly of him. Does that mean he had never told this woman about the horrors of their family? No, that was impossible. She had to know. The burden of living underground was literally written across his face. There was no escaping the exclamation of that. He made sure to bite his tongue to prevent any touches of sarcasm to pass his lips. There was no need to insult the woman during their first encounter. He took her hand firmly and shook it.

“Thank you, I’m looking forward to the wedding,” He hid his worries with courtesy. 

Since the formalities were set the younger Ishtar found it to be the right time to turn towards Ryou finally and beckon him over to join his family. The pale Japanese nodded as he shyly and slowly approached, greeting Rishid by shaking his hand and bowing and turned towards Aisha, hesitant. Not wanting to offend her so instead he copied Malik’s motion towards her and placed a hand over his heart. This only made the woman stretch an amused smile across her face.

“Don’t worry. I am not that strict. You could shake my hand,” She spoke to Ryou in English, hoping he’d understand as she offered her hand out as a greeting.

“O-oh!--I see, thank you,” He responded back in the same language, seeing that she didn’t know Japanese, and Ryou was still practicing his Arabic. 

“I’m Ryou, it’s an honor to meet you Aisha,” He gripped onto her hand and bowed towards her.

She shook his hand accordingly.“Yes, it’s nice to meet you too. You must be Malik’s friend, one of his roommates correct?” She kept her pleasant demeanor after slipping her hand away.

An awkward silence sunk in right after, it couldn’t be helped. It was unclear how much she knew about the couple or their living situations. Malik highly doubted she would understand exactly why he and the other two men lived together. She was just a normal civilian, she wouldn’t have a clue. She’d probably think it was all fairy tale garage anyway. However much she knew it was evident that she didn’t know that Ryou was his lover. Malik knew how uncomfortable the flower boy must be feeling; he was far better at playing it cool and not letting his charming mask slip but his partner spent too much company with him not to catch on.

“Yes, um. Malik is my friend. You can probably say he’s more than my best friend.”

Aisha stood there unphased by what was said. It was either she understood and was being too polite by staying deadpan or she truly didn’t catch on to the underlying statement. A little embarrassed laugh escaped Ryou as he rubbed the back of his head, a nervous tic of his. Malik clenched his hands into fists as he was feeling very tensed at the situation unfolding. He turned his head to look for Rishid who was now out of sight and by the back of the car, settling the luggage down into the trunk after receiving the car key from his brother. Malik wanted to approach him on the matter but didn’t want to be ignorant. So he let it pass and went along with the protocol. 

\--

The most incredible aroma of delicious food permeated the whole front area of the condo. It was a smell that gave Malik great comfort as he recognized the spices and other seasonings from back home in Cairo. It brought him back to the street markets from childhood; it was indeed a melancholic feeling. The bulk of the meal prepping didn’t begin until Rishid and Aisha had stepped foot in what could be considered the temporary home. Truth be told, his dearest older brother was always the cook of the household. Isis only knew how to make a few dishes but feeding the family was always Rishid’s pride. The odd couple did put some effort into trying to help out. Ryou had successfully created a couple of feta cheese omelet rolls since they were extremely similar to making tamagoyaki. The two of them also made a team effort and prepped harira soup the night before, but instead of lamb, they substituted for lentil and other beans. They also had found some berber bread while wandering around the foreign specialty shops located downtown Domino. It was not homemade, but nobody seemed to ask so there was no need to tell them. Aisha had decided to make Malik’s favorite dish which was kushari; presumably as an effort to warm up to him. Which in a way he appreciated, but didn’t stop that gnawing feeling of anguish towards her. 

By the time they were finished, there was a ridiculously massive spread that covered the whole dining room table. There were many dishes that were made in honor of celebrating Ramadan which Isis would be happy to see that her favorite bread pudding, Om Ali, was a part of the display. Speaking of the sister in question, nothing was touched until she came home. If it wasn’t for her efforts the family would be cramped in their baby brother’s shared apartment with Yugi and most likely his loud-mouth blond friend. It was already a tad suffocating because of the incident with poor Ryou. Inviting the gentle rebel was a thought but was discharged quickly, it’d be unbearable if any more were added. 

The mood seemed to lighten up once Isis finally joined them since she was familiar with everybody in the room. She knew the flower boy very well, not just because of her younger brother but because of the museum. It was easy for the two to spark up a conversation. Isis actually seemed very fond of the macabre young man; tending to teach him phrases in Arabic. She was also dressed for the occasion, it had been quite a while since Malik had seen his sister in a hijab. It resembles her original one from Battle City. She was fitting into the modesty that came with the celebration. The rebellious Egyptian had expressed enough that he wasn’t for restricting his lifestyle but he did make an exception this time around by playing along and behaved himself for the past week by fasting. This included bodily pleasures but lacked the willpower and did end with some heavy petting after dark some nights. Which only Ryou needed to know about. 

Cleaning up after dinner was a breeze since Rishid always wanted to take full responsibility for the mess since he was conditioned to do chores. As a boy, Malik thought nothing of it and just let it be. Now times had changed and he found himself agreeing with Isis about lending a hand when it came to duties. They didn’t have to live like how they did back then. It was nice to see that Aisha seemed to be on the same playing field as her fiance. What the younger Ishtar observed during dinner was that the young lady had the same personality type as his brother. Reserved and devoted. This was a good sign, it was always a worry to both Malik and Isis that their soft-hearted brother would get captured with an aggressive and manipulative kind of woman. Rishid had a hard time saying no; he also had a hard time making choices to benefit his emotional and mental needs. He tended to neglect himself in that department. And for years the family has been trying to unravel that nasty train of thought.

Seeing that Aisha was good-natured perhaps her response to Ryou’s comment was out of being naive. It still didn’t take away from the heart-wrenching feeling that Rishid was too ashamed to explain to his future wife that his younger brother was unnatural. That he was unstable and murderous. That he lived in sin; how he was responsible for the torturous hardships the older man had endured in this lifetime. By Gods, the guilt seeped in deep tonight. The Arab could taste the revulsion in the back of his throat as it was bubbling up to the surface. It was a good thing he was wise enough to take the proper dose of medication to keep his weary mind at bay. When things were winding down Malik had found enough courage to approach his sister about the taunting truth once he got a chance to be alone with her in the kitchen. In her typical matriarch ways, she spoke level-headed and calm. She had confessed that she did not know what their brother had told Aisha about the relationship he shared with his ghostly partner. The only information that was worth putting to rest was that Isis knew that Aisha was aware of their family’s past as tomb keepers. And that there was no need to go into exact detail to her about traumas from their family history. What’s done is done, there was no need to look back as the only path to the future was moving forward. 

He let his sister’s words ring true in his ears while just as predicted, the three men present in the household all settled down in one of the spare rooms for the night. The bedroom that Malik occupied the handful of times his family had stayed in this condo. It was quite empty. Only a full-sized bed, dresser, and closet being worth noted. And oddly enough a large neon sign of a pyramid with the Eye of Horus in the middle of it. It was an object the Arab didn’t remember owning, probably a purchase he made when he was inebriated. He’d be seeing his way out with light when it was time to leave. Ryou plopped on the bed first, resting his knees into the soft fabric of the comforter as he leaned up over the headboard to pull the chain of the trendy sign as an illuminating purple glow engulfed the darkroom. 

The flower boy’s smile was endearing and how engaging for Malik to lay his eyes on. Out of awkwardness, the couple played it casual when interacting in front of the rest of the family. It was a common practice they did anyway out of respect but even more so after the straining encounter with Aisha. Speaking which, when Rishid left the room to help aid his fiancee with some menial task his cheeky younger brother took the opportunity to strike. He hopped onto the bed and slithered his way over to Ryou’s side and wrapped his arms around him to kiss at his face and then lips. The sudden affection wasn’t denied by his partner as Ryou had easily hugged back and returned the kisses each time one was planted on his pale flesh. 

“We mustn’t get ahead of ourselves, Malik,” Ryou’s expression was as welcoming as ever, lifting his head to peer up at his lover’s calm gaze. 

Malik cupped his more delicate partner’s face as his eyes gleamed in admiration, he curled his fingers around the other’s chin and pushed the tip of his thumb against Ryou’s bottom lip just to tease him.

“Shhh! Don’t ruin my fun!” He fussed in a hushed tone as he tilted his partner’s head back to kiss again, this time for longer. 

Ryou kissed back, allowing their liplock to linger as he kept his anxious brown eyes on the doorway to make sure nobody was nearby. Malik had gotten too carried away with himself as he began letting his hands wander around the thin material of the mint colored shirt his precious Ryou was wearing. It wasn’t until the caressing became more naughty as Malik pressed his hands hard enough against the fabric of his shirt to find his nipples and teasingly pinched them. With a small whimper, the flower boy skillfully shoved Malik away just in time before Rishid walked back into the room. It was unclear whether or not the older brother got a glimpse of what happened but it was safe to say that Ryou’s red face and guarded posture as he had his back turned away from Malik and arms crossed in front of his chest. 

Rishid raised a brow, holding a box tightly in his hands as his eyes panned over to his brother’s disgruntled face that was tinted a bright purple due to the neo pyramid’s glow. He frowned deeply as that look of the younger Ishtar was never a good sign. Recalling from past events things normally took a well, difficult turn, you could say. Out of complete instinct, Rishid’s natural reaction was to freeze in place as his eyes focused on his brother. Ryou managed to get his attention for a split second to share an empathetic gaze with him before turning his face away in embarrassment. Malik pulled himself off the bed and stood up, pushing his blond hair behind his shoulder in a huff. Making it obvious that he was annoyed and his older brother wasn’t even sure why. What had he done? The unknown was excruciating.

“Brother, I’d like to speak with you.”

He ordered as he marched out of the bedroom and brushed passed Rishid’s massive body, proceeding to step over the threshold. Leaving his two loved ones alone in a dumbfounded state. Rishid coyly continued to enter the bedroom as he planned to do to begin with and stretched his hands towards Ryou, offering what looked like a medium-sized box of chocolates to the flower boy. It was hot pink with a black along the edges with _House Of Cocoa _written in the middle. Ryou accepted it in great surprise as the first response he could think was to bow to Rishid to show gratitude. He was never expecting a gift from him. He was more than flattered to receive such a thing.__

__“Thank you very much. I will make sure to savor it,” He placed the box into his lap and slowly looked back up to realize that the older man had already disappeared._ _

__\--_ _

__Rishid did not spare any time getting down to the bottom of what the issue with his younger brother might be. It took him a moment to actually find the spunky blond as he was nowhere to be seen in the living room or anywhere in the shared areas of the space. It took him a bit of searching until he realized that Malik had found himself waiting outside in the hallway that led to the front door. He wanted to be away from the family to speak with the older man. Ah, that made a lot of sense. But only worried Rishid further as he still had no clue of what he could have possibly done to upset his brother in such a way. After he appeared in the hallway, closing the door behind him quietly he took notice of how physically distressed his brother looked. He was unable to keep still, even before Rishid came out into the hallway he was already pacing back and forth. With lips pressed tightly into an unsure frown; the older man’s brows flustered at the sight of his dearest brother displeased._ _

__“...Please Habib Albi, tell me what has bothered you?” He asked very gently, only expecting the worst due to past experience._ _

__Malik’s steps abruptly stopped, standing there rigidly, visibly in discomfort as he tightened his fists to the side of him and kept his head lowered. Making his bangs fall into his face to shield his eyes._ _

__“Brother,” He paused to find a composer._ _

__“Are you ashamed of me?” He managed to ask, peeking his face up a bit just to stare over at the other man’s shocked expression._ _

__His Hazel eyes restricted at the question and mouth slightly agape. He was completely astonished that Malik would ever think that. He never expected such a thing to be asked from him. It took a moment for Rishid to process an appropriate answer knowing very well that his brother wasn’t one to be reasonable when angered._ _

__“Never Malik! How could you ever consider such a--”_ _

__“Lies!” He shouted over him, standing tall once more just to pierce a sharp gaze over at his brother._ _

__“I see the way you act differently around her Rishid! Is it because she is a traditional woman? It must be humiliating to have to explain to her that your measly little brother is not only deranged but also lives in sin!”_ _

__Malik spat out sharply, stomping his foot against the filthy rug. His tongue was a dagger, he knew the way he sounded. The turmoil that the Arab felt wasn’t even towards Rishid it was rage against himself. Even if what he believed was to be true his brother was justified in thinking in that manner. Rishid was free to think the way he pleased, Malik knew this. He was no longer ignorant of the close-minded ways he used to live. Despite this, it did not take away feeling wounded by the fact that it was possible to be shunned by the man he loved the most._ _

__Rishid was still speechless, keeping his stoic stance but displayed pure remorse on his face. It was said the eyes were the windows to the soul, Malik was not sure how true that was. Though seeing how honest those hazel eyes were that perhaps he could reconsider for the sake of his brother. Despite the lumbering body and intimidating appearance the older man had. It was quite easy to tear him down emotionally. From years of abuse from the hands of their father, no, from the hands of Malik’s father. The lost soul that was Rishid suffered from great guilt, even if it was not his own. He knew Malik far better than Malik knew himself. He was able to peel past the layers of anger and hatred and view the pathetic little Tomb Keeper boy for he once was. And to an extent, who he still was deep down inside. A vulnerable child. It pained Rishid deeply to see his younger brother this upset over him. He didn’t find it the right time to speak until he watched Malik’s vindictive visage start to chip away as he began to weep._ _

__“Master Malik I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Don’t cry.”_ _

__The older man practically crumbled at the view of Malik in so much distress as he bowed right away, a custom he was so used to. He didn’t have to think twice about doing it. The mention of his name like that only caused more disturbance within Malik’s feeble mind. He gritted his teeth with tears still streaming down his face._ _

__“Do not call me that!” He screeched loudly, infuriated at just the words being uttered past the other man’s lips._ _

__“You are my brother, Rishid! My brother! _My brother! **My brother!**_ ” Malik screamed so hard his voice became hoarse at the end of his sentence, it felt a lump forming in his throat as he let out a dry cough, trying to choke back tears. _ _

__“You are no servant, Rishid! You are not lower than I! You are my elder! I should be respecting you! Not the other way around!” He placed a hand over his heart, feeling his whole being ache from despair._ _

__Malik continued on his tangent as he wasn’t able to contain himself any longer; finding it the better option just to turn away from the older man as a pathetic attempt to compose himself once more but with no avail as those blasted tears just kept falling from his eyes. He sobbed silently, a trait he had taught himself many years ago to keep out of trouble. Rishid was beside himself, wanting so badly to embrace his brother. To reassure him that what he thought was untrue. But he also wanted to respect his wishes, not wanting to anger him further. His strong words of defending him were also so heartfelt. And made Rishid feel safe, seeing that Malik was able to distinguish between his thoughts and reality. Once Malik crouched down onto the floor to wipe away his tears Rishid slowly approached him from behind by lowering down on his level and laid one of his hands over his shoulders and gripped it as a loving gesture._ _

__“I’ve never been ashamed of you, ya Hayati. During your darkest days, I’ve always seen your pure heart shine bright even during the suffering our family has been through. It has not mattered what you have done in the past. I will never deny you of what makes you happy. And I hope you remember that” He squeezed Malik’s tense shoulder for another sign of affection towards him._ _

__His younger brother had his hands covering his face, hiding it in shame as he listened carefully. Eventually, he relaxed his muscles and calmed down enough to bring his silent sobbing to a halt. He rubbed his eyes by using his forearm, turning to stare over at Rishid somberly._ _

__“I apologize that I am a burden,” He groveled._ _

__“You are no burden, Malik. We may not be connected by blood but we are by souls. If Ryou is the one that makes you happiest then it makes me the happiest as well. And I hope you have enough in your heart to feel the same with Aisha for me,” He proclaimed, looking down at his brother loverly as he ran his fingers through his gold locks._ _

__“Of course I feel the same for Aisha! I have nothing against the woman, I just felt like the image I put off would only leave a bad impression and well--” The more Malik tried to explain himself the more he found himself sounding foolish._ _

__Rishid was able to muster up a content chuckle at his younger brother’s explanation, just to soothe the tense situation. Malik’s intentions for his outburst weren’t out of spite. It was easy for the older man to see that crippling insecurity was to blame. He kept a gentle smile towards his younger brother._ _

__“I understand, it’s alright.”_ _

__With a heavy heart Malik turned to face his brother fully and wrapped his arms around him in a close embrace._ _

__“I love you Rishid. I never want to hurt you again,” Malik squeezed his arms tightly against the back of the other man’s bulky shoulders._ _

__“I love you too, Malik. I will forgive you regardless,” He mumbled back, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment of peace._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this chapter is definitely my favorite one so far. The idea originally came from a head cannon I read where after the Ishtar Family is free of their duties Malik goes on speed dates with Rishid to be his wingman. Which I thought was absolutely adorable. I actually wanted to write a scene where Malik is helping his brother getting dressed for a night on the town and was praising him, trying to boost his confidence. Because god he needs it. Other than that, this chapter comes from a sensitive spot in my heart and it allowed me to use all the useless knowledge I have of Islamic culture due to a very confusing and taxing seven-year-relationship with somebody who's family originated from Cairo. It was not my tradition but I always liked the festivities of Ramadan. It was such a big deal to my ex's family that each summer (That's normally when the fasting begins) there would be a giant family reunion in a different state each year to celebrate. 
> 
> Besides that BS, I also can say that Rishid had become one of my top favorite characters from Yugioh. He's the embodiment of unconditional love. When I was revisiting the anime I literally was getting so distraught over how the poor guy was being talked down to by Malik that I actually had to pause the video and regain myself. xD And then I started singing "He ain't heavy, he's my brother" Because Jesus Christ it's so fitting to the Ishtar brothers, f*ck. 
> 
> ya Hayati means "My life" Which I thought was very fitting for Rishid to call Malik. 
> 
> Depending on the woman, handshaking might not be appropriate. If anybody is wondering why there was a weird interaction with that.
> 
> In the anime, Isis looks like she's wearing a khimar hijab. (If anybody cares xD;)
> 
> The reason why I picked Rishid to have a traditional partner was that I see him as a man who is comfortable with his culture. And honestly, I just wanna see the dude happy. I know us writers love to focus on Malik living a life with a lover but like, could you imagine how lost Rishid would be without looking after his baby brother? I think he'd be devastated. He LITERALLY dedicated his whole life to protecting that kid. Malik is everything to him. 
> 
> Anyway, I'll leave off by saying happy pride month! XO


	4. Blissful Wind

A grimacing stranger greeted Malik through the reflection of the sliding window attached to the little concession stand located on the train platform. Dreary bloodshot eyes met with drawn-out cheeks and a vacant expression in his stare. It complimented the deep, dark circles under his eyes that had become more prominent over the past years from a disoriented sleeping pattern. It was him, he was the strange man. It was a surreal feeling as he didn't necessarily recognize himself. He wasn't in complete dissociation today. It wasn't his mind playing tricks on him intentionally, it was more of the side effects of his psyche medication. Which was intended to just sort out his disturbing thoughts, so he was able to be calmer, more subdued, more normal. Or what was considered normal at least. The problem with the dosage is that not only did it quiet the mayhem that lingered in the back of his mind. It was so strong that it wiped out his personality as a whole. He was unable to feel anything. He was in a constant state of numbness like he was looking through some sort of lens. As if what he was seeing with his eyes was not real. It felt like a daydream. 

It was extremely lively in the train station today, most likely since it was the weekend. Malik was far from a fan of large crowds; and Japan had the worse ones. He hated them with a passion and tried every which way to convince Ryou to hitch a ride on the motorcycle instead of wasting time on the subway. But his partner was persistent and was dying to take advantage of the nice weather to travel out of town that he claims would be a shorter trek by train then it would be if they went by motorcycle. Malik was of course skeptical at this but didn’t push forward because he was generally happy to do what the flower boy wanted and that was to visit a butterfly garden that had just opened up for the season. He was so excited about it that he was still discussing the exhibit, holding a pamphlet about the ongoing events as he handed the placid Arab a cup of coffee. 

“Malik, did you hear me?” Ryou asked very softly, turning back to the opening of the concession stand when his iced coffee was placed down on a little ledge. 

He kept his hand stretched out so his partner could take his cup as he picked up his own drink. Malik slowly blinked and took a moment to process what was going on. His gaze refocused back on Ryou. Feeling foolish to think his dark circles were bad while due to the fair skin of his more delicate partner made the bags under his eyes the centerpiece to his face. 

“Yeah,” He answered dully, taking the cardboard cup out of his grasp gently and held it with his ring covered fingers. 

“You want to see the swallowtail butterfly,” He blurted out whatever he remembered last of their conversion. 

Ryou raised a brow and pressed his lips tightly together as it tugged to the corner in some sort of smirk, knowing that the Arab was somewhere in outer space. He fished the tip of his straw into his mouth and took a long sip of his iced coffee before speaking.

“No, what I was saying was that I think you’d enjoy the butterflies landing on you the most. You can interact with them,” He continued as they began walking off to their designated spot to wait for their train.

Malik slowly nodded, admittedly still feeling in a fog as he discreetly laced his fingers with Ryou’s to hold hands and took a sip of his black coffee, hoping the caffeine would help ground him. Even if it didn’t seem like he did, the Egyptian highly appreciated Ryou’s zest for life and was always ready to support him on his hobbies and interests. There was a part of him that got the sense that this trip was also for Malik’s benefit too. The flower boy knew that his partner was starved from a lot of ordinary things. It sounded stupid but he had never seen butterflies up close before. Sure, he was familiar with desert bugs. He could easily make the joke of seeing plenty of scarabaeuses. Though they didn’t compare to the beauty of a butterfly. And how perfect it was that they were associated with his gorgeous Ryou.

“I’ll make sure to enjoy it when we get there,” He said simply, stopping abruptly at the correct terminal. 

Seeing that Malik was in a bit of a daze Ryou decided to give up on small talk and took the time to observe their surroundings, nothing special. Which wasn’t a bad thing. Feeling his grip loosening from holding his pamphlet and his iced coffee in one hand since his other hand was preoccupied with his partner the quiet man slowly slipped away and began pulling his backpack off his shoulders. This struck the other man odd.

“What are you doing?” Malik asked, a bit disgruntled. 

“Huh? Oh, I figured I’d put the butterfly garden map away,” Ryou explained innocently as he swapped his plastic cup in his hands so he could maneuver better. 

Without another word, Malik snatched the silly piece of paper out of his pales hand and started folding it in half so it was able to fit into the little black sling backpack he was wearing. There was no need for Ryou to put in the extra effort. He was right there and it was his fault for his partner’s disadvantage. The flower boy's pleasant expression dropped from annoyance at the Arab’s harshness.

“Well, you could have just offered to carry it for me instead of snatching,” He said in disgust as he readjusted the straps of his bag and stood back up straight.

“Sorry,” Malik mumbled, staring away and towards the ground.

The only response back was a heavy sigh from Ryou, knowing very well that Malik was only frustrated with himself and didn’t take it personally. As they waited a pink train car sped by, which caught the attention of the curious Egyptian quickly as he lifted his head up and watched it move along. It only surfaced a thought he had that finally made him want to engage back in conversion. 

“Hey, Ryou, how come Japan has women’s only metro carriages?” He asked, glancing back over at his gentle partner.

“Unfortunately, there’s a high rate of sexual harassment for women. So they dedicate cars just for them,” He explained, feeling those lavender eyes on him and returned the favor as he gave an unnerved smile.

Malik slowly nodded, understanding the logic as it was the same in Egypt. There have been many times where he had been too close for comfort against not only women but other people as well. It wasn’t a situation he was looking forward to enduring again. It’s one of the reasons why he relied on his chopper so much. It was easier to avoid the masses and interact with the public. He shuddered at the thought.

“It’s because of how cramped it is all the time,” He took a couple of long gulps of coffee to get rid of the cup before their train arrived.

\--

Being inside the train car was a complete nightmare and possibly dangerous by how close everybody inside was huddled into one big cluster. Malik wouldn’t deny it but he had to agree with Ryou when he said that they have experienced worse during the salaryman rush hour on the weekdays. He appreciated the reminder even though it didn’t take away the annoyance of being brushed against constantly, lack of air, and the strange looks he’d get occasionally for being foreign and sometimes for displaying public affection towards his sweetheart. Japan was weird in that regard to Malik. Surprisingly, it was such a cold and modest country compared to being in Cairo. People barely touched here as a greeting. He had gotten many dirty looks just from linking arms with Ryou, which is such a normal way of showing fondness back home to another male comrade. The cultural differences between them did explain why the flower boy tended to be shy outwardly. As he feared the repercussions of strangers which his more bold partner didn’t give a damn about. The truth was really drilled in when the Arab had grown closer towards his roommates that during one night galavanting around downtown Domino; he had completely forgotten proper etiquette and grabbed onto the back of Yugi's shoulder. It wasn't the brightest of ideas seeing that the tame nature of the former King of Games vanished as Malik was only met with outrage. To be fair, the reaction was exaggerated due to excessive drinking. Regardless, it still makes him think twice about getting too familiar with his friends. 

Going on about the unfriendly atmosphere; the train station as a whole was eerily quiet while walking through a massive crowd nobody really spoke. You were able to hear an army of footsteps and the beeping from whatever machinery was being used. The train car was no different. Only a few voices were able to be heard, very softly as the rattling from the movement on the rails was louder to hear when the carriage swayed back and forth a bit. There was no luck in finding a spot to sit this time, it was like winning the lottery in that case. It left Ryou’s back crammed against one of the curved metal poles by a set of back doors that served the purpose to secure the passenger from losing balance during the ride. In typical fashion, this only led to Malik’s slightly bigger stature to be squished into his beloved. There were no complaints there, gloating in how physically close they were able to be in public without having to be cautious. 

The Egyptian grabbed onto the metal railing when the car started rocking. He gripped his hand around it tightly so he didn't collapse straight into his more delicate partner. Malik could feel somebody directly behind, feeling them brush against him with the motion of the train. Ryou had gotten frightened from the sudden jolt of unsteady tracks. He took hold of the pole as well, to lean his body weight away from the teenage girls sitting on the seats behind him. He back peddled the movement of his hand, realizing he was holding onto Malik's hand over the handlebar. Seeing that he was removing it his daring partner made sure to push his bulkier frame flat against him and stared down Ryou's precious face with keen eyes.

"Leave it there," The Arab's tone was slick, bowing his head to press his forehead against his lover's. 

This immediately caused alarm within Ryou as he stiffened from awkwardness and did as he was told, cupping his hand back around the other's and instinctively glanced down at their feet touching. 

"You are taking advantage," He murmured with an unnerved smile. 

"Of the situation?" Malik questioned, amused at Ryou's sudden shyness. 

He nodded in response, squirming his fingers underneath the Egyptian's palm. The feeling of those pale hands only provoked a mischievous gleam in Malik's eyes as he continued to allow his body to press against his partner's leaner build. 

"How could I not, ya helo?" He purred and very discreetly brushed his lips against his.

This resulted in cutely colored pink cheeks and an even more appealing harsh stare from those stunning brown eyes. 

"Don't," Ryou's lips formed a type of pout. 

"Make me," Malik sneered.

He moved in a tiny bit closer as his eyes scanned the area of the fellow passengers, seeing that almost everybody had their back turned to the couple. The daring Arab took the plunge and lip-locked his more modest partner. At first, Ryou was mortified, completely restricting himself but his lover was persistent and managed to soften him up with the skill of his tongue and wandering hand. 

Malik kept a firm grasp on the railing and his free hand onto the flower boy's slim waist, sneaking his fingers underneath the soft fabric of the striped shirt. It was amazing, an incredibly warm feeling filled the emptiness the flower boy tended to feel at times. Their kissing session continued until the Arab slowly broke it and opened his eyes back up to gaze down at Ryou after feeling a tight grab from behind on his rear. Malik flinched at this, freezing in place and took a look down at his lover's hand that was gripping onto the black tank top. 

"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, feeling mighty insecure by now as he took notice of the masses of people that might have seen them indulge. 

Malik winced and began to fidget, gritting his teeth as he tried desperately to keep calm. 

"Ryou, please tell me it's your hand that's grabbing my ass."

He knew it wasn't his partner. He saw where his hands were and it wasn't Ryou’s character to be so bold. Especially after all the coaxing that was involved, to begin with. After Malik's question, Ryou took the effort to glimpse over his broad shoulder.

"Uh, no Malik it's not m--" 

Ryou's jaw dropped as the image of the enraged Egyptian spun around in an instant. Those big brown eyes widened in complete and utter shock when Malik yanked onto the tie of the man that was standing directly behind them. He looked to be about in his late 40s. Fairly slim and only a bit of a receding hairline; he was most likely a stereotypical businessman. All the hubbub stirred a reaction from the crowd as the weight of the old man being thrown to the floor caused panic among the passengers and started moving as far away as possible from the scene that was unraveling. Ryou started feeling self-conscious again. His first reaction was to grab onto the back of the strap to Malik’s sling backpack and started pulling furiously in a desperate attempt to separate his partner from the pervert. 

“Malik, please! Gather your senses!” 

He yelled out, to no avail as the buckle of the strap unclipped and flung Ryou backward thanks to Malik's aggressive gyrations, shaking the old man stiff in fear. The delicate male landed on the floor right where he was standing beforehand, between the train door and the handlebar railing. The bag fell into his lap as the sudden impact of his back slamming into the side train seats scared the girls sitting there; making them let out a shrilling scream. Ryou winced at the sound of the distress and watched on in defeat until he heard the most horrific noise. The quick snapping sound of a switchblade Malik owned, greeted the businessman’s terrified face. Pathetically enough there was amusement in those deranged looking eyes of the smirking foreigner as the old man squirmed under Malik’s towering build. It’s when the edge of the knife got closer to the pervert’s throat is when Ryou jumped back into action and he pounced onto his partner from behind and started dragging him away with all the physical strength he could conjure up. Due to all the franticness, Malik dropped his switchblade to the floor as he tried to escape the feeble arms of the flower boy.

“Get out of my way, Ryou!” He growled viciously, continuing to thrash around.

His eyes were shut tightly as he kept his constricted grip on Malik’s waist and managed to pull him far enough away; the businessman made eye-contact with Ryou for a split second, still engulfed in terror as he scrambled out of one of the open doors to escape. Once the old man was able to successfully disappear is when the more delicate partner finally loosened his grip as he exhaustly rested his back into the side of the seats again to where the girls were no longer to be found. Malik scanned the area of the train, seeing that there was a large empty space around the couple now because of the scuffle that broke out. A bit of time passed by and the Egyptian still looked visibly agitated as he hand rubbed up the other’s slender arm.

“I can’t believe you let him get away like that,” Malik bitterly grumbled.

Ryou was God smacked at the comment as he dropped his arms down to his sides and stared over at the other man astonished.

“You can’t believe me!” He was appalled. 

“You could have killed him, Malik!” Ryou’s voice heightened at the end of his sentence. 

In typical defiance, Malik turned his head to show an unenthused expression. 

“And so what? He groped my ass, it’s not like he wouldn’t deserve it!”

Ryou’s expression darkened in disgust, shaking his head in disbelief. He bit his tongue just for the sake of keeping the peace. There was no point for both of them coming across as savages. Instead, he held it together and bent down to snatch the backpack back up from the ground and pulled the pamphlet out before holding it out to his partner.

“Take your bag,” He said coldly as he shoved his way past Malik to get closer to the train door, seeing that the next stop was approaching closer. 

After the Arab took it Ryou glanced down at the floor, stepping onto the potential murder weapon. He cringed at the sight of it and purposely avoided looking over at the other man.

“And pick up that ghastly knife of yours too,” He told him before slipping out of the opening of the sliding door, leaving Malik behind.

Malik waited for Ryou to make his exit first as he casually secured his backpack across his chest once more and arched his back to pluck his knife up from off the floor; while he was down there he noticed a wallet underneath the opposite train seat and curiously picked it up and placed it inside his bag for safekeeping. He didn’t have time to take a look into the wallet but figuring how violently he shook that train molester it was most likely his.

\--

When Ryou stepped out onto the unfamiliar train platform he was taken back by what he saw. The surroundings didn’t look modern at all; nothing like back home in Domino City or any other place he visited by train so far. The overhang was wooden and looked waterlogged from years of surviving the elements. Even the beams that helped hold the roof up looked rusty from age. There was a large intercom hanging from the rafters above and the train station itself looked pretty small compared to what he was used to. Growing far more concerned, the flower boy began wandering around the terminal looking for the depot listing to find the name of the town they were in. He flipped through the brochure to help guide him and back up the walls of the building. So far, no luck with finding the identity of their whereabouts. Only stumbling upon a vintage looking coke machine and a Kaiba Corp poster, wishing Mokuba Kaiba a happy birthday. Wow, these guys were literally everywhere. Ryou frowned, continuing to flip through the pages of the pamphlet. Slowly but surely Malik’s bulky build appeared back into the frame behind him with hands tucked into his cargo pants pockets.

“Are you still mad at me?” He asked, gently.

When his voice was heard Ryou made it his business to walk off, this time towards a few steps, and took another look around. He let out a sigh as he finally turned to face Mailk with a bit of annoyance. 

“We’re lost,” He stated simply before hopping down the steps that led out of the terminal. 

Malik raised a brow with his lips curving into a deep frown. He was only able to see the back of Ryou’s head, the ends of his long white hair blowing from the soft wind.

“What?” He quickly followed behind him down the steps.

“I said we’re lost,” He repeated with more aggression.

“Your attempt at murder caused us to miss our stop,” Ryou explained as best he could without losing his temper.

Admittedly, his words cut deep. And it stung the inside of Malik’s heart as he hated to see his beloved view him in such a light. In a normal situation, just a taste of Ryou’s disappointment would have sent him into a spiral of anxiety and shame. But the foolish Egyptian was too caught up in the stunning scenery. He had never seen anything like this before in his life. The greenery was beautiful and melded well with the old fashion buildings that could be seen from the distance. It was the ethnic architecture that was most captivating. Is this what the true countryside looked like? He had only passed by farmhouses and pastures a couple of times while taking motorcycle rides. He never actually took the instinctive to pull over and enjoy the scenery for what it was worth. It was daunting to experience as Malik was so entranced by the beauty of their new surroundings that he squeezed right past his partner down the stairs with eyes wide. Ryou’s anger quickly simmered down as his features softened at Malik’s sudden change in behavior. He cocked his head to the side at the troubled man as he placed a hand on his hip and he tried to figure out his true motives.

“Malik?”

His name passed Ryou’s lips weakly which lay only on deaf ears as the Arab was stood in place, gazing at all the foliage. The breeze blew through the back of his golden locks. Malik closed his eyes in bliss. The wind was one of the things he enjoyed most that’s the reason why he preferred not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle. He took his time to respond as he was enjoying this moment to the fullest before turning his head to look back over at his partner. 

“This is far better than any butterfly exhibit, don’t you think?” He spoke sincerely with a pleasant expression.

He was unrecognizable. Malik’s demeanor had completely changed from his severe brooding attitude to a true version of tranquility that his medication could never accomplish. His eyes were so clear and his smile genuine. This was the true version of Malik. The man who wasn’t being bogged down from his self-hatred or drenched in grief. He was happy, and it was so sad that seeing him like this was such a rare occasion and Ryou desperately wanted to see more of it. His brown eyes glanced back down at the brochure one last time and slowly nodded as he crumpled it up in his hands.

“Sure,” He agreed, a bit hesitant with a smile. 

With pure excitement in his mannerisms, Malik dashed off at breakneck speed towards the farm pastures with a joyous war cry, the opposite side to where it looked like there was civilization. He couldn’t help hold back a laugh at his partner’s abrupt charge of energy. The more delicate male had no choice but to follow, starting to sprint after him just to keep up. 

“Malik! Be careful! We have no idea where we are!”

\--

Heavy breathing was heard while two masculine bodies were seen appearing on top of a grassy hill. Ryou had more trouble catching his breath unlike his more fit partner beside him; causing him to double over and place his hands on his knees to compose himself. As for Malik, well, he took no notice as he was still as wide-eyed as ever. He spun around and tugged at the ghostly male’s sleeve playfully.

“Hey, Ryou! Let’s roll down this hill!” He suggested with giddiness.

“Huh?”

When Ryou spoke he still sounded aspirated. He snapped his head up, one of his eyes squinting from the bright sun that blurred a bit of his vision when he slowly began to straighten out his posture. The hill was massive and it was unclear where the outcome of the landing was.

“I don’t know Malik, it doesn’t look too safe,” He frowned as he continued to study the long way down. 

“Aw, come on Ryou! Don’t be such a chicken!” He nudged his side with his elbow and crotched down.

“If you’re going to wimp out. Then I’ll go first, okay?” He looked back up at the other man directly with a smug expression.

Ryou blinked in confusion. Who was this guy? This certainly wasn’t how he was used to the crabby Arab acting. Come to think of it, he didn't know if he’d ever seen Malik like this before. He was so childlike in nature and pleasant. It was both amusing and unsettling at the same time. Whoever this person was in this moment would no doubt brush off whatever warning the flower boy would give. It was still Malik even if he didn’t seem like himself and that stubborn temperament was not going to just disappear.

“Alright, alright. You go first,” Ryou finally caved in, unable to hide his true emotions behind a smile this time around as the Egyptian’s shenanigans had drained him of all of his resources. 

Malik stood back up in triumph and gestured towards his partner’s backpack. Ryou scrunched his face in an unimpressed expression.

“What?” He caught himself wrapping his hands around the straps of his bag as a subconscious way to protect it.

“Let me throw your bag down the hill so it doesn’t get crushed when you roll down,” Malik told him as he made another grabby motion towards him again.

The more delicate partner scooted away and avoided eye-contact as he was beginning to become frustrated again.

“No, I’d prefer to keep it on,” He seethed out.

Malik looked at him a bit oddly. 

“Are you sure?”

Ryou nodded.

And with that, the Arab gave a shrug as he took a running start down the hill and all of a sudden crashed onto the rough texture of the ground. He let out a loud holler from the rush of adrenaline as he continued to collide against the patches of soil and the grass that he loved the smell of so much. It was the freshness that was so appealing to him, to think for a decade he was banished from experiencing something so simple. Ryou watched on in nervousness as he gulped before taking a leap of faith and followed right behind Malik as he copied the dare devil’s technique to run first and then roll. Ryou was able to pick up speed and almost smash into the other man by a hair; right before Malik made it to the bottom of the hill with a small splash. He was laughing hysterically as he quickly sat up in the soggy grass when he saw Ryou come tumbling down behind him and opened his arms to help break his fall. When his partner’s slender frame fell into Malik's, he hugged him tightly. Ryou curled up against him a moment to regain his stamina and slowly looked up.

“I feel wet,” He frowned as he slowly slipped out of Malik’s arms and stood up with caution, observing the surface they had landed on.

Malik continued to stay seated, despite how soggy the ground was underneath him as he watched Ryou with content.

“I think we landed in a pond,” He said, getting up as well now.

“I think, perhaps…” Ryou’s eyes kept wandering to gather their situation. 

“...we’re in a marsh,” He finally was able to form words and turned to look over at his partner who seemed surprised.

“What is a marsh?” Malik asked in genuine curiosity. 

“Well, it’s kind of like a pond but with more vegetation. I guess that's the best way to describe it?” 

Ryou cast his eyes down in thought as he pushed the tip of his now soaked sneakers into the rushes and reeds to see if he was able to feel the earth. Which he quickly discovered he could as the sole of his shoe was covered in mud when he lifted his foot out. Malik watched quietly, staying by the flower boy’s side as he watched Ryou’s gears turn by the pondering expression on his face. He started taking off his backpack as Malik promptly put his hands out for him.

“Can I help?” He asked when Ryou raised a brow at him.

“Uh, sure. I was just going to take off my shoes so they don’t slow me down,” He answered as he passed his bag over and grabbed onto Malik’s strong shoulder to keep himself balanced as he removed his socks and shoes when he bent down.

By the time Malik secured the backpack on; Ryou had rolled up the bottoms of his jeans and tucked his damp socks into his sneakers as he unzipped his bag from behind the other man. He gingerly placed his shoes into the wider compartment of it, rearranging a few items inside beforehand so everything stayed safe. The Egyptian stayed put until he heard the zipper being tugged closed again.

“Alright! Let’s head forward!” He sloshed through the mucky mess.

“Wait, Malik, don’t you want to take off your shoes too?” Ryou suggested calmly, toddling behind him, and stretched his hand back towards him to grab onto his arm for support.

“No, I don’t mind the wet feeling inside my boots,” He told him honestly, dragging the slightly shorter partner along.

“Oh?” Ryou, again, was taken off guard by his foreign lover’s explanation. 

“Do you know what Rishid said to me once when I’m being reckless?” Malik glanced at Ryou from the corner of his eye, continuing to walk.

“No, what?” He perked his head up.

“That I do not so much as sip at the cup of life, but drink from it until it’s dry,” His eyes peered up at the beautiful blue sky as he spoke.

“So, I accept my faith in having soaking wet shoes. It’s my fault after all. I’m not going to complain about it,” A smile slowly grew on Malik’s face as he positioned his arm better for Ryou to hold onto.

For some reason, a sudden feeling of ease graced Ryou when Malik quoted his brother. He was right after all. Malik wasn’t the type to always think things over; when a feeling emerged he’d just wing it. The train incident was a prime example of that. The Ishtar bond still rang true and how thankful he was for Rishid being the unknown voice of reason behind his little brother. Even after all these years.

“That does sound like something Rishid would say,” He nodded, still in thought.

“Your brother is really wise. I like him a lot,” Ryou admitted, stepping over a sad looking shrub rooted in the muddy ground.

“I love Rishid more than he knows,” Malik said as his voice softened.

Ryou smiled, enjoying this vulnerable side of his partner as he pointed towards a little frog head popping out from the shrub that they just passed. The Arab seemed to be entertained by this as he took the extra effort to slow down and observe the little creature. He wanted so badly to pick it up but knew if he attempted it would get startled and runoff. So instead they left it be and marched onward. Despite being almost knee-deep in murky water it was actually a quite relaxing stroll. The slow pacing soon disappeared when a barn came closer into view, causing Malik to become giddy with curiosity again and started pulling Ryou along like a ragdoll before breaking free from his grasp altogether and hopping a picket fence that separated the dry ground from the wetland. 

“Hey! Wait up for me!” Ryou called out with a laugh as he continued to trudge his way out of the marsh. 

“I see birds!” Malik yelled out, standing on the opposite end of the fence as his eyes couldn’t keep away from the multitude of fowl roaming the open field.

The flower boy hesitated when he was halfway over the short fence. Straddling the vertical wooden post just to take a gander over at the chickens and what looked like ducks gathered in front of the barn. They were noisy critters, making quite the racket. 

“Do you think they eat these birds?” Malik asked, a bit of sadness in his tone.

“Maybe,” Ryou shrugged, scanning the area for any other signs of life that might be human. 

“Well, if they do. That’s a shame! Because they are so cute!” He proclaimed as he began cautiously walking towards the chickens as they all began to scatter away from him in fear.

Ryou hopped off the fence and quickly made his way over to the other man, beginning to tiptoe to avoid anything sharp objects that might prick his bare feet.

“We should be careful Malik, we might be trespassing,” He grabbed hold of him yet again and tenderly tugged at his arm so they were able to see each other face to face.

Malik’s brows flustered together as he nudged him away gently and lowered himself down to a friendly duck that allowed him to stroke his feathery back.

“Oh, Ryou, you worry too much!” 

With that being said a pebble fell from above them with a few strands of hay along with it. Malik flinched as it landed on his head and moved aside quickly having the duck waddle on past the couple in a hurry. The more delicate partner looked up at the perfectly square cut out that served as a window. It was centered at the tippy-top of the barn where a pair of large olive green eyes shined down at them. It was a tabby cat, probably a stray because of how scruffy it was and it didn’t look too happy to see them down there. 

“I think somebody agrees with me,” Ryou teased as he pointed up at the cat. 

“It looks like Hatshepsut,” Malik grinned up at it and slowly stood.

He was referring to their own stray cat that would pay them a visit from time to time at the apartment. She didn’t have a name at first as Malik normally just simply called her habibi to show affection towards the cat until Yugi insisted that they named her so Ryou thought it was suitable to refer to the stunning little feline as Hatshepsut. Since a name like Sekhmet was too on the nose for the former tomb keeper. Even if Malik thought it was the cheesiest option available he had gotten used to the name over time. The Egyptian really loved cats. He was familiar with cats due to some finding their way underground when he was a child. And how they were glorified by his clan for being seen as a protector to the pharaoh and the symbol of healing. 

The barn cat’s tail swooshed back and forth as it’s sleek stare never left the sight of the intruders when it stood up. The stealthful paws of the feline crept over the edge of the barn window to get a better look at the strangers.

“It’s alright hibabi! We are just passing by!” Malik tried to assure the cat cheerfully.

By this time some of the more courageous chickens and ducks started gathering back to their designated foraging spot that the two men were correctly disturbing. It gave Ryou a chance at attempting to pet one of the skittish fowl when it trotted by quickly. He chuckled and crouched down as he tried to attract another one by holding out his hand with curled fingers. With luck, it seemed like the same outgoing duck came waddling back for more pets. It quacked happily and fluttered its wings to make itself cozy. A few hens moseyed around the foreigner as he had become intrigued by the mysterious creature.

“Ryou, there’s another one!” 

Amusement was present in his tone and his face was in some type of innocent awe at the two animals lounging together. The second cat was much smaller than the one that had made itself well known from the get-go. It was the same richly colored brown with a bit of grey shaded within the fur and laying behind the older feline that kept its stoic position; sitting on the edge of the window sill. The younger cat had a more wide-eyed look to it and bobbed its head from side-to-side when one of the strangers made the slightest movement. 

“Maybe the larger cat is the mother to it?” Ryou said with hands now rested on his knees as he kept his squatting posture. 

“No, I think they are siblings,” Malik disagreed with him and turned to look down at his partner.

“If she was a mother then where are the rest of her kittens? They are brother and sister for sure.”

Malik said this like he knew and it was a fact as he kept gazing up at them. The flower boy found this rather endearing as it was blatantly obvious that he was projecting his own family onto the unknown cats. Who was he to argue about it? Neither of them knew for sure what the relation of the two felines were. And if thinking of them as siblings made the Arab feel happy then who was he to judge? It only showed how much Malik had undying love towards Isis and Rishid.

“Maybe you’re right,” Ryou finally agreed as he slowly stood up.

“I think we should keep exploring before the older cat pounces on us,” He half-joked, watching how Malik’s face was unmoved.

He nodded at his partner’s plan and waved up at the two pairs of gleaming eyes from up high.

“Goodbye hibabis! I honor you for all the hard work you do for guarding the barn!” He bowed to the cats before taking hold of Ryou’s hand and started traipsing through the bunch of chickens that formed around them.

Ryou waved to them as well.

“Farewell!--” He shouted, tripping over his own two feet, trying to avoid stepping on a chicken as it clucked in panic.

\--

After getting a bit lost from the barn the two had managed to find their way back to civilization, thankfully without having to trek back through the dreaded marsh. The town was just as charming of how it looked from a distance. It was built more like a small village and it was like stepping back in time to the 1910s, according to Ryou anyway. Who was not just a nerd for Egyptology but for some of the old world history of Japan as well. He made sure to check his hypothesis by fishing his smartphone from his backpack and searched the internet for the actual answer. The outcome of this was correct, as it was a village that was abandoned with no true reason stated back in the late 1960s and was restored about a decade later when the government of Japan declared that this little treasure of a place was to be preserved for its traditional buildings and history. Ryou thought for sure that they were lost but it turned out that they had landed in a fairly visited tourist attraction. This was honestly a relief since the more practical partner was concerned if they were welcome here or not at first.

Since all the searching around had tired them both out, the couple decided on taking a rest at a quaint little tea house that only sold herbal teas and classic Japanese wagashi such as monaka and mochi. They were fortunate enough to be able to sit outside the shop since inside was too snug to fit any proper seating. They sat at a small circular table and ordered a glass pot of pea flower tea; or also known for the alternative name, butterfly tea. The liquid was a bright blue color since it was brewed from petals. Malik thought it was a good idea to drink it since they had missed the exhibit his darling so badly wanted to see. He sat across from the gorgeous flower boy with his hands laid out in the middle of the table as Ryou found it more comfortable to slouch over, cupping his partner’s hands together and fidgeted with the array of rings that covered his fingers. Malik had never outgrew his love for flashy jewelry. And he seemed to find his favorite pieces at antique shops and flea markets because they were the most unique and cheap there. 

A plate of daifuku was barely touched as one out of three the little treats were bitten into, showing the juicy strawberry that was hidden away within it. There was no real reason to buy any food since they had packed a few meals for the outing that day. A container of cut up watermelon with a chunk of feta cheese was sitting in Ryou’s bag that he couldn’t really wrap his head around the concept but the Egyptian had convinced his Japanese lover that the combination of the sweet melon and the salty feta was exquisite. Ryou didn’t argue, it just wasn’t his cup of tea and that was alright.

“Today turned out to be really nice,” Ryou spoke out almost absently-mindely as he straightened out his posture in the chair.

He gazed over at Malik lovingly as he kept a loose grasp onto his fingers while his partner kept a tighter hold on his hands and squeezed them together to show affection.

“I’m glad you think so. I know it may not seem like it. But I am sorry that we missed our stop at the butterfly garden,” He lowered his face down, feeling humiliation wash over him and squeezed his lover’s hands once more.

Ryou tried smoothing over the tension between them with a smile and maneuvered out the other’s grasp to be the one to hold his hand instead as he lifted it up and gave it a kiss. He was mimicking a gesture that Malik did often to him, trying to console him from whatever negative emotions that might be stirring up in his brain.

“I forgive you,” He stated as the genuine softened expression of his partner’s handsome face made his heart swell with compassion. 

“I’m glad,” Malik almost mumbled as he gingerly slipped his hand away to unzip his bag and pulled out a wallet.

At first, Ryou didn’t think anything of it as he was still enjoying the moment to realize that the item the Arab was holding was strange. His elbow was propped onto the table and chin resting in his palm as he was lost in the whimsical atmosphere that was this breath-taking village. It wasn’t until Malik put down a few pieces of yen under the saucer that was his now empty teacup so it didn’t blow away with the soft breeze.

“You don’t carry paper money,” Ryou frowned, laying his arm down in front of him.

With a closer observation, he squinted and noticed that the style and color of the wallet were not the same as the one Malik owned. Ryou would know, he had gifted the insufferable man a new wallet last Christmas when he saw that his old one was falling apart from age. 

“Who’s wallet is that?” He asked curtly, crossing his arms against his chest as he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. 

“Huh? Oh, I think it belonged to that old molester from the train,” Malik explained carelessly, with no ounce of remorse. 

His brutal honesty made Ryou feel utterly sickened. Just right after they had practically made-up from today’s earlier dispute Mailk would have the nerve to wave such a thing in his face shamelessly. 

“Yeah, look, it’s him,” His eyes were stone-cold when he looked down at the ID that was in the pocket part of the wallet and turned it around for Ryou to take a glance.

It was indeed the same balding man from the train and how that infuriated the normally docile man as he was nauseated by the act of felony. It caused him to push out his chair away from the table so fast that the legs made a piercing screeching noise when it dragged across the unpaved street. He stood up and picked up his backpack that was neatly propped on the back of his seat as he slipped the straps back over his shoulders and began to walk away from the table and away from Malik. He was too revolted to even pretend to be calm in this situation. His partner was dumbfounded by the rash way he was trying to avoid conflict. Malik got up and went after him.

“What’d I do this time!” He called out from behind him and suddenly stopped in his tracks when the flower boy sharply turned to confront him.

“What haven’t you done!” He shouted out.

Malik looked shocked standing there. But not as shocked as Ryou when he felt the words escape him without even a warning. He was more than fed up at this point.

“You stole that man’s wallet, Malik! Wasn’t it bad enough that you almost could have killed him!” 

He continued on, The words just kept pouring out. By this time his tone began wavering with a hint of distress in the background of it. He was flailing an arm in the air as he scolded him, much like a mother would when reprimanding their child. Malik’s anger laid dormant momentarily as he stood there impassively and allowed Ryou to express his grievances with him. It was soon unbearable as the Egyptian’s temper came to a boiling point and did the unthinkable; snapping at his beloved. Snatching onto his arm when it was still in the air and aggressively yanked the more feeble body of his partner over towards him so their noses touched. 

“I might be gay, but I ain’t no fuckin’ fairy!” He growled straight into Ryou’s face.

His dark pupils widened in fear when staring into the bottomless rage that was filling Mailk’s lavender eyes. He was out of touch and it was frightening. He tightened his grip onto Ryou’s arm before letting go and shoved him away. The brute force caused Ryou to stumble back and regain balance quickly enough not to fall backward. He rubbed the spot where Malik was squeezing and soaked up the heaviness that was hanging over the both of them. It felt like he was at a standoff with the Arab who was glaring him down, averting his gaze away to prevent his darling from feeling any more threatened than he already had. It was a surreal experience especially since this all stemmed from a restful state. Ryou wasn’t even sure how they got here. He thought for sure that the day was going to end off on a peaceful note. He guessed he was wrong.

Malik licked his lips before eyeing back over at his lover and the dismay displayed on his pale face. 

“That man disrespected me, Ryou. And you expect me to just let the bastard get off scot free? For what reason? He’s lower than the dirt I walk on-- _Ya Gazma!_ ” 

He had become so disgusted that he spat out an insult in his native tongue without even a thought. Ryou flinched at his hostility; being able to keep a cool exterior as he found himself crossing his arms against his chest again as an attempt to guard himself against the chaos. He looked down a good moment before mustering enough courage to address his brutal partner again.

“May I speak now?” He asked in annoyance.

Surprisingly Malik’s only response to this was a nod when Ryou finally spoke out against him. Truth be told that the Arab struggled with his temper but seemingly his true nature wasn’t actually cruel even if that was hard to believe in cases like this. Just like with everything Malik did he acted on his first instinct. He was hurt so he reacted with anger, his self admitted weakness. Ryou was definitely nowhere near as wise as Rishid but he could try at least, right?

“I’m sure you could recall as well as I can that the thief was also one for attacking people like prey. I understand why you felt the need to attack that businessman, Malik. You are hurt by what happened and you’re allowed to be. But it doesn’t give you the right to harm with revenge. The thief did the same and look where he ended up? Experiencing suffering for an eternity.” 

Ryou’s urgency within him finally dissolved as he now felt at ease that he was able to express his pent up frustration. And Malik looked on somberly, a silent way to let his darling know that he was right. 

“I suppose me and the thief are one in the same, huh?” He cocked his head with an uneasy smirk.

“That’s why you got on so well,” Ryou added bitterly, keeping his arms folded in front of him. 

“Does that pain you?” He pursued the question.

The flower boy paused, taking a moment to really think it over. The whole charade of the duo together, once upon a time, was of course bothersome to Ryou. It was outright painful when he really reflected deeply on it. And was unsettling to think about it. One of the main things the couple had in common was the deceased bastard. Granted, he was the host to the thief so of course, Ryou would have a warped sense of fondness to him while all Malik was to him was an accomplice and sickening enough a paramour as well. He believed that regardless of what the past held was only leading up to the grueling work of healing for the promising future. Unlike the thief, his counterpart has been deemed another chance at life. A chance for change. And perhaps Ryou was his guide this time around to lead him in the right direction.

“No,” He finally answered.

“The two of you may have been similar but you, Malik, have the ability to see past the fog of hatred and achieve what true enlightenment is.”

Malik was unsure of that. He was far from confident enough to be as forgiving as his strong-willed partner and it was a damn shame. He also didn’t want to come across as contrary either; the last thing he wanted to do was continue an argument with Ryou. He didn’t want his love to be angry at him forever. And with that, all put into place the undeniable truth was that he was speechless. He wanted to know how this delicate soul of a man perceived their troubling circumstances as an outcome of good fortune was beyond him. And how hopelessly he was willing to suffer through the unpleasantries just to get a taste of how delicious it was to be free from his own mind. He desired to be as humble as Ryou. 

Malik took notice of the sky that now looked like an oiling painting with warm toned colors effort washing out the blue that brightened the day. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he slowly approached the other man again.

“Will you come watch the sunset with me?” He asked calmly, hoping he’d say yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get a lot of inspiration for my interruption of Malik from my dad. Who is a person who has been suffering from his mental health all his life and has learned to regulate his mood so he isn't constantly feeling angry. There are times when my dad's medication makes him a complete blank slate to where it's hard to hold up a conversion. He also was a thug back in the day as well as a biker guy. (You see where I'm going with this? xD) Actually, I got the idea of the switchblade from one of my dad's friends who still live that hectic lifestyle after I saw a hunting knife in his back pocket.
> 
> I got the idea of the high sexual harassment rate in Japan from an interview with Joji to where he was asked why women get their own train cars. He explained that it's so bad there that even him, as a man got groped in the train once. 
> 
> The countryside reference I used is a little town in Japan called Tsumago. I think there are eleven other post-towns like it.
> 
> Malik quoting his brother comes from an amazing Rishid rping blog on tumblr: https://rishxd-blog.tumblr.com/ <\-- I think it's inactive now but I got A LOT of inspiration to write as Rishid and the honestly, the rps are really well written and fun to read. They give so much life to his character. I'm obsessed. 
> 
> This chapter is literally the reason why I started a collection of these drabbles.
> 
> Ya helo means 'my beautiful' and is used for both genders. <3
> 
> Ya Gazma is an insult used to say a person is like the bottom of their shoe.


	5. Adored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brown skin and lemon over ice  
> Would you believe it?  
> You don't have to say you love me  
> You don't have to say nothing  
> You don't have to say you're mine  
> Honey  
> I'd walk through fire for you  
> Just let me adore you  
> Like it's the only thing I'll ever do  
> Like it's the only thing I'll ever do  
> Like it's the only thing I'll ever do

It was around 3am when the door to Malik’s bedroom cracked open allowing a stream of warm light to pour into the darkness and shine dimly against the twin bed against the wall. Ryou’s fingers curled around the edge of the door with his free arm holding a bundle of clothes and his smartphone placed on top of it firmly against his chest. His big brown eyes caught a glimpse of his lover, what he assumed was his sleeping form under a royal purple duvet with a gold swirling pattern stitched into it. 

“Malik, are you still asleep?” He whispered just loud enough for the other man to hear.

There was no hesitation as the gorgeous boy had gotten a response right away which was the Egyptian abruptly rolling onto his side and swiftly pulling over his comforter as a welcoming. Flashing a bit of his naked flesh in the process since Malik typically slept clothless. Ryou was now used to this due to living with him long enough and engaging in too many sexual encounters for it to no longer be embarrassing. He also didn’t wear underwear often either. He stated it was because he never did growing-up underground and why should he start now? This was coming from a grown man who didn’t bother buttoning his trousers either but wore a belt. There was no sense arguing with the former tomb keeper’s logic. 

Ryou slid his way through the slit of the door and closed it behind him quietly. He looked over his shoulder to glance at Malik who was patiently waiting for him to join him in bed as he rolled back onto his belly, a position he became accustomed to from the immense pain he endured as a child from the carvings in his back. There was no such thing as a proper medical anesthetic in the tombs; everything was done primitively so with no surprise he was prone to frequent infections. The light from the screen of his phone illuminated a partial area of where he laid. He was preoccupying himself while scrolling through inane social media, even before his beloved decided to pay him a visit. A neon light in the shape of a pyramid with Horus’s Eye was hanging on the sidewall to where his dresser was and gave off an aesthetically pleasing purple glow. If Malik was going to be afraid of the dark he might as well do it in style. 

Ryou carried his items over to the desk that was placed directly across from the bed and pushed the few stacks of books out of the way so he can set his outfit for tomorrow morning down in the middle. Despite Malik’s edgy appearance he was actually quite the avid reader and took great joy in learning about almost every topic you could imagine. He had a thirst for knowledge that could never be quenched and it was one of the traits the flower boy found so appealing about him. There were also quite a few magazines strewed about without those piles of books as well. Despite the decline of publication through physical pieces of paper, Malik was one of the many few in Japan who still was dedicated to buying such things as the newspaper. Which he read every day, even if he needed one of his roommates to help him sound out Kanji for him sometimes. 

Magazines were such a big deal to him that Ryou remembered that Isis had paid for a monthly subscription to one of his favorite motorcycle issues for his birthday last year. And some of the posters from those magazines were taped onto the wall. Including one that was covered over the broken mirror above his dresser that depicted a hot blond woman dressed scantily clad and reclining on a cherry-red chopper in a very suggestive pose. The attempt at fixing the mirror with a poster came from a joke the three of them made up during a late night of fooling around. Malik had stated that he collected the posters more for the designs of the motorcycles rather than for the girls. Which his partner believed but didn't stop both him and Yugi from asking what exactly his sexual orientation was since he was so willing to display posters of pin-up models. And it didn’t come to a surprise, to Ryou at least, that the Arab was in a bit of a grey area when it came to his sexuality. He obviously liked men but he admitted he found some women attractive and has had experience with them in the past. Just like the rest of his gypsy ways of wanting to live free-spirited, it went along with the rest of his code of honor. Malik was not one for putting himself in a box. There was no label for him. And if anybody dared to challenge that he would defend it passionately. And Ryou respected him for that.

After rearranging a few other items on his desk to create some semblance of an order he walked towards the bed finally. When Ryou hopped onto the mattress he sat on his knees reached over his partner’s lounging body to stretch across the nightstand on the other side to place his phone down so he was able to hear his alarm in the morning for work. When the Egyptian felt his darling’s body press into him he turned back onto his side and nuzzled into the fabric of his shirt. His hand snaked around his waist and reached down to his rear, giving it a playfully spank. This drew out a squeal from the flower boy that shifted into a chuckle as he grabbed a hold of Malik’s shoulder and rolled him over onto his back to peer down at him with the neon purple glow washing over their faces. Both their gazes were calm and exuded temptation and without a word, Ryou crawled over his lover’s body with Malik helping by pulling the blanket fully off him. The beautiful man straddle the other’s hips and arched his back to kiss those delectable lips. It was slow and tender at first then gradually became deeper as their mouths widened and allowed entry to get a better taste. Ryou rubbed a thumb across his cheek gently before slowly slipping away and straightening out his back once more, to look down at Malik’s sharply sculpted face.

Malik squinted up at him like a mischievous cat and a pleasing smile stretched his lips as he ran fingertips up and down his lover’s pale thighs, craving more. 

“Did you have a nightmare?” He whispered to him.

Ryou shook his head and bent down to give him another kiss.

“No, I just couldn’t sleep,” He answered, drawing circles into his chest and teasingly running a finger down his taut stomach and stopped where their hips met. 

“Oh? I think I may have a remedy for that,” Malik slowly grinned as he snuck a hand under his gorgeous partner’s shirt to get a good feel of his fair skin.

\--

The room was soon engulfed with heavy panting and pathetic attempts at muffled moaning. The two articles of clothing that Ryou dared to even bother wearing were now thrown onto the floor along with part of the duvet that had slumped down from the friction that was happening between two bodies entangled into one another. The bed frame was creaking miserably as the stunning view of the flower boy’s lean figure was rocking furiously, keeping his original position on top of Malik’s muscular build. His palms were pressed against the other’s chest tightly; purposely making the effort to rub against Malik’s nipples knowing that he got great enjoyment from it. The pleasure that was building up from his hips was becoming unbearable as his generous partner was giving him an unfair advantage by firmly stroking his erection; nice and wet from a bit of foreplay earlier that caused it to make a soft vulgar sound from a mixture of pre-cum and saliva. 

“M-Malik~” Ryou mewled out breathlessly as he hung his head back and felt his thighs twitch from desperation. 

He felt himself coming undone. His hips were starting to become weak as he felt his partner’s tip grind against his sweet spot within the deepest parts of him. It was so close, the feeling was so urgent and suddenly came crashing down when he felt that glorious tightness disappearing from his shaft. It caused him to shoot his head back up and stare down at Malik with pleading eyes.

“W-why!” His voice hitched in pure disappointment and eyes widened, realizing that his hands were no longer against Malik’s chest and were moved around his throat.

“Choke me,” He cooed to him lovingly. 

Which only sent a chill down Ryou’s spine, staring down at the Arab with the most mortified expression. He was at a loss for words as the rocking of his hips came to a complete halt. Where did this come from out of the blue? And the most unsettling part of this awkward situation was that those lavender eyes still held so much tenderness to them. What was this? He knew Malik was kinky, just not this extreme. Ryou stayed frozen, a bead of sweat dripped down from his cheek. He tried to pull his hands away as Malik resisted him from doing so, keeping them tightly there.

“Do it you chicken!” He shouted out, amusingly with a crook grin.

“No!” He snatched his hands away from Malik’s grip with his stare hardening in disbelief. 

That absurd, menacing grin was wiped away from the Egyption’s face when the request was denied. 

“Well, then,” he looked up at him sinisterly as he slowly sat up and wrapped his hands tightly around his waist.

“I guess you left me with no choice then,” A gleam of mayhem sparkled in his eyes.

Ryou blinked in surprise, sensing Malik’s playful aura that eased the fright he felt from the forced aggression that was brought onto him as an unsure smile tugged his lips.

“Wait! I-I!--”

He was thrown into the mattress with brute force as it was easy for Malik to overpower his more fragile partner. Ryou wasn’t opposed to this at all, he wanted so badly to satisfy that animalistic desire to release. He encouraged it with a kiss as Malik accepted his affection, feeding into it when he fumbled a bit to slip himself back into place with a little help from Ryou’s guidance. His full length slid in with ease as the flower boy moaned into his mouth, a well deserved reward as the Arab sat up and grabbed a hold of his waist to inch him closer. It caused the more delicate partner to squirm underneath him; starting to yearn for it again. He began thrusting into Ryou’s helpless form without mercy with the poor bed frame beginning to match the rhythm of the couple’s soft moans once more. Ryou arched his back to get a better feel of his partner’s throbbing member. 

“Cum for me,” Malik whispered into his ear seductively. 

“...you chicken!” He managed to grunt out, just to tease him.

He licked down his neck and nibbled along his collarbone as Ryou had melted back into a complete needy puddle of mush. Just the feeling of his lover’s hot breath against his skin was enough to make him finally reach climax with the most divine moan. Malik followed shortly after as he was desperately holding out for his beloved to be satisfied first before he finished as well. He pulled himself off and collapsed right next to the knackered state of his partner. Malik had dragged Ryou’s exhausted body back to his side by wrapping his arms around his waist from behind and held his lover’s back into his torso; getting a face full of his white hair. Ryou had been too absorbed in basking in the afterglow to let the unsettling incident bog his mind. Until he woke up a few minutes before his alarm for the morning rang. When he fluttered his eyes open and was free from his partner’s hold, seeing that he more than likely changed sleeping positions during the night. Malik was the one to turn over and crawl his way back to his darling’s side and pulled him into a cuddle as he kissed the top of his head. The flower boy laid there groggy with half-lidded eyes, nowhere near ready to rise up from this bed as his eyes closed back on their own. He buried his face in his partner’s chest, striking Malik cute, making him chuckle as he ran his fingers through his long hair.

“Can I ask you something?” Ryou reluctantly opened his eyes and slowly unburied his face and looked up at him. 

Malik’s expression was unreadable at this time. Though his partner was able to see a bit of concern through the visage he carried.

“Is it about what I said last night?” He asked, coyly. 

“Yes.”

There was a long hesitation after that as the Egpytion shifted uncomfortably under the covers and avoided eye-contact. He lifted his body up and propped himself up halfway and dug his elbow into the sheets and laid the side of his head in his palm. Ryou continued to look at him questionably, trying to get a grasp on what he could possibly be thinking. Typically his strange partner was getting easier to read but then there were times like this where it was more difficult for him to interpret; like he was some sort of secret scripture or something, how amusing.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you to do that,” He took a quick glance over at that gorgeous face as he twirled a finger around a strand of his own hair using his free hand.

“Is it because...he did it to yo--”

“No.” 

Malik said emphatically. Trying to stop Ryou in his tracks from his accusation. 

He nodded at the answer, still skeptical. 

“You told me that the thief was rough with you, are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t sound convincing and the Arab could tell by how Ryou was looking at him that he thought he was full of shit. And truth be told that in fact he actually wasn’t being evasive about the sexual acts he did with the spirit of the ring. He had already sorted those dreaded feelings out and still tended to battle with them. It was more than that. He didn’t want his beloved to think differently because he was abnormal. There were maybe more things about himself that Ryou may not know or perhaps wouldn’t understand. And it wasn’t easy to explain because of how shameful they were and he was already feeling angry with himself for letting his deviant desires sneak past him. There was no way that he was going to be able to smooth this over so easily.

“Well, whatever the case is. I just want to tell you that I do not feel comfortable doing that sort of thing to you, Malik.”

Ryou frowned, face becoming drawn out from worry as those dark eyes glistened from the grief he felt towards this strange situation. And Malik didn’t know what was worse. Having Ryou believe that the thief choked him out with the use of his unconscious body or having him think he’s a disgusting freak for wanting to be harmed during an act that some people deem as lovemaking. It made Malik feel like a scumbag for putting his soft-hearted partner through an act he didn’t want to participate in. Ryou, as a person, is gentle, kind, and forgiving. And in the past when he first realized he was being possessed by an ancient force. Everything changed. The couple told each other everything and the Egyptian was well aware that the flower boy had at one point blocked himself off from his friends, and from the world in general because he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for all the innocent souls that had suffered from the hands of the thief. 

He blamed himself for what happened to those people even though it wasn’t his fault at all. He had no way of stopping that relentless bastard. Ryou was so afraid of the spirit of the ring attacking others to where he began to self-injury himself so the thief had a harder time committing crimes. The Arab recalled some of the stories where his partner would go into vivid detail of how he used to create makeshift booby-traps when the spirit was laying dormant inside the ring and he would wake up to comparable positions. The joke was him because the sad part of that was no matter what he tried it never stopped the thief as he didn’t mind inflicting his own pain onto Ryou’s body either. This is why Malik tried to be very mindful of how he treated his darling. To this day Ryou struggled with self care due to years of purpose neglect to his body as a dire attempt to cease the monster that lurked inside him. His biggest vice was forgetting to eat or not eating enough. Mainly replacing a nutritious meal with coffee or some other kind of caffeinated drink. Sugar was also a popular substitute as well. 

That was another thing that the duo had in common. Though Malik didn't starve himself to prevent his evil alter ego from high-jacking his body, that ship had already sailed a long time ago. It was more because living underground was tough when it came to food as the Ishtar clan were vegetarian and if you could imagine that there wasn't always an abundance of vegetables to be shared among the family. It wasn't until his late teens to where Malik started to take his diet more seriously and self admittedly, it was more for superficial reasons since he was tired of looking like a feeble little boy and wanted to build up muscle mass and look strong and healthy like his brother Rishid. Despite no longer lugging around the burden of his tomb keeper duties, the Egyptian still favored being vegetarian. Perhaps it was his upbringing but he didn't care for the harsh taste that meat had. And with that came the trouble with iron deficiency. Which led to plenty of vitamin supplements. Malik wasn't a very nurturing person like his two siblings but he tried his hardest to show Ryou that he cared for his health by making enough of whatever protein concoction he happened to make that day was shared with the flower boy. Which was normally turned down considering that Malik was very fond of peanut butter while Ryou was not. 

That was all besides the point. Whether he resorted to breaking his neck to show how compassion towards his lover or not it did not take away from the fact that he was currently feeling like his entire being had been sunk into the bedsheets from the amount of humiliation drenching him.

" You're not responsible for the turmoil the thief has caused to others." 

Malik mused out, absentmindedly drawing his attention over to his neon pyramid that was still glowing from last night and shifted a bit to gaze up the uncertainty plastered on the other man's face. Ryou was sitting criss-cross beside Malik with his arms folded across his chest and picking at the cuticles of his nails nervously. 

"I understand that. But it's not what the thief has done with my body. It's how I don't want to stoop to his level." 

Malik didn't follow. How could Ryou ever be capable of stooping to that bastard's level? It was honestly ridiculous that he even thought in such anyway. It was also difficult seeing his partner struggling to continue his train of thought as he visibly looked shaken. 

"I love you. And want to adore you the way you do to me. I understand you have some…adventurous tastes." 

How kind Ryou was for putting his twisted desires into polite wording. It only made him feel so much dirtier than he had prior. He would have rathered the delicate man just to say it how it was. He was a freak of nature, a deviant creature that had a deranged infatuation with constantly wanting to rub elbows with death. Malik was so insecure within himself that he had completely missed the fact that the love of his life had told him that he adored him.

"I'd still like to please you, Malik. I just don't want to hurt you--and well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that--" Ryou let out an exasperated sigh, starting to get fed up with himself. 

It was alright though because despite how fragile Malik's ego as he was still willing to stay patient and allow his lover to take however much time he needed to articulate his thoughts. This isn't a race, he wasn't in a hurry. He just wanted Ryou to feel free with him. 

“I’m afraid of hurting you during one of your requests because what if some of his malicious tendencies are still a part of me because we shared a body for so long? And I just black out when I’m doing something and I really hurt you? I don’t want to hurt you, Malik, you don’t deserve that!”

Ouch. This seemed to be a double-edged sword now. The Arab didn’t necessarily know how to respond to this as the cynical side of him wanted to tell his darling that even if he did accidentally kill him that he would have died happy. But he had enough sense not to prod at open wounds like this. All this time Malik was too worried about not coming across as too aggressive like the thief, wanting to cherish his lover’s body and respect his boundaries. And in reality, Ryou was just as scared with coming across in a similar way, how eerily sweet. The flower boy had his eyes shut tightly, head bowed almost into his lap and hands firmly balled at both sides of his head. Seemingly in a fetal position. He was most likely revisiting something dark and disturbing thoughts in the back of his mind. A memory that wasn’t even his. A gruesome act that he didn’t commit but did physically, with his own two hands. Ryou had vowed that would never hurt anybody else that he cared about deeply again. Even if it was consensual he just couldn’t bear to do it. By this time Malik had decided to finally intervene as seeing Ryou convert into nothing more than a curled up bug on top of his bed. He slinked his hand up to his thigh and gripped onto it tightly. He leaned over and kissed the crown of his head, trying to put his mind at ease.

“You could never do anything to hurt me hibabi, I love you too much,” He tried to reassure him with another kiss, this time on the cheek when Ryou finally lifted his head back up.

“That does not soothe me, Malik,” He sounded pained, wiping at his eyes that were now wet.

The Egyptian wrapped his arms around his partner’s slim waist and held him close, pressing his cheek against his soft white locks.

“Then tell me how I can?” He murmured into him, rubbing his hand across the ghastly pointed scars dug into his chest as he gently nibbled his at the top of his ear.

Ryou fell silent and relaxed into the embrace as he lifted an arm up to wrap his fingers around his lover’s wrist as a sign of affection. Malik’s eyes closed, soaking up the calmness between them until it was short-lived because of a disturbance from outside the bedroom door. The Arab’s eye cracked open in annoyance as a scowl stretched his lips at the loud of the chatter that was echoed through the walls. 

“Heh, I think Jou is here,” He gave an unnerved smile, seeing that his partner was unpleased.

Malik believed his hunch to be right. There was no mistaking that obnoxious voice. But the real question is, why so early in the goddamn morning? The Egpytian begrudgingly separated himself from his partner’s side to trudge his way to the door and swung it open halfway to make sure that his nether regions were hidden from the other side to glared over the rowdy blond who was standing at the very end at the hallway in the threshold of the bathroom with his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants as there was a glimpse of Yugi standing in front of the mirror while using a glob of gel to spike his hair up. Jounouchi cackled about something funny that happened last night. He worked at one of the racy bars downtown Domino City near the red light direct. The Arab was familiar with it, he’s been there a few times in the past. He was sure Jounouchi made good money there. The buffoon must have just got off work seeing that he was still in his bartender uniform and looked like a chimpanzee going to a tea party. Malik couldn’t make out everything that was being said considering that his Japanese was far from perfect and when it came to Jounouchi’s speech, forget about it. He could never understand a word he said because he didn’t speak in a regular Japanese dialect. He had a heavy Kansai accent. From what he understood from his roommate's explanation was that the pronunciation was typically over-exaggerated and that’s why it was hard for him to hold a conversation with the delinquent. 

“Hey!” Mailk called out aggressively.

The sudden interruption from a different voice caused the two friends to quiet down as Jounouchi spun around with the cheesiest grin planted on his face and raised a hand up to the former tomb keeper as a hello. 

“Aye! Malik, my man! What’s up!” He shouted out just as loud.

Malik’s eyes dulled from irritation. Well, he was understanding the dolt so far. That was good.

“Do you pay rent here?” He asked bluntly.

Yugi snapped his head back at the comment to look over at his roommate with wide eyes as he neatly pulled his tie together; silently observing as he continued to get ready for work.

“Huh?” Jounouchi raised a brow and parted his lips in a dumbfounded expression.

He cupped a hand behind his ear as a gesture towards the other man to speak up. This was bad. Nothing was even really said yet and he was already starting to get aggravated with this fool and what made it worse was that he hadn’t taken his medication yet. So he knew his temper was easily going to flare up if he didn’t keep cool. He clenched his jaw a moment before repeating himself.

“Do you pay rent here?”

Again, nothing but a stupid look as Jounouchi turned to Yugi and pointed over towards Malik with his thumb and asked what his problem was as he rested his back into the frame of the doorway. Great, the blond didn’t understand his janky pronunciation. Before the gentle rebel was even able to answer the irked Egyptian finally swapped out for English last second to get his point across, seeing that they both spoke it.

“Do you pay rent here, motherfucker!” 

This startled Yugi enough to finally chime into the conversion and turned fully to face Malik across the hallway.

“Sorry if we woke you, Malik,” He said pleasantly with a worried expression.

Jounouchi looked completely unphased by the other man’s aggression as he was not the only one in the room that had street smarts. Some sort of an unimpressed frown stretched his face as he crossed his arms.

“Don’t apologize for nothin’ Yuge. You didn’t do a thing,” He told his friend gently before standing up straight again and narrowed his eyes at Malik.

“Nah I don’t pay rent here, you got a problem with ‘dat, man?” Jounouchi addressed him, now that he understood what he had said. 

“Yeah, I got a problem with that. Why don’t you keep your fucking mouth shut next time?” He almost growled.

Malik’s muscles tensed up and then flinched as he felt a warm presence press against his back. He slowly relaxed when he felt a kiss from a pair of pale lips against one of the center hieroglyphs carved into his back. Ryou had been getting dressed for work this whole time and decided it was probably the best decision to try to calm his easily flustered partner down. He hugged him from behind a moment before slipping away. His beloved was enough of a reason for him to get distracted. He was looking rather handsome with his hair pulled back and braided loosely. 

“It’s late. You must have missed your train. Let me drive you to work,” He said, closing the door ajar and picking up a pair of cargo pants that were already laying on the floor and pulling them up.

Ryou nodded with a soft smile.

“Yes, I’d like that. Thank you.”

He waited for Malik to sloppily pull on his racer jacket as he didn’t bother with a shirt since it wasn’t that cold out. Once he was all settled Ryou stepped out first with his partner right behind him. Jounouchi’s attention was drawn back to the bedroom door and looked pretty confused. Not really knowing about the two roommates officially dating.

“What the fuck Ryou, you was in there the whole time?” he scratched the back of his head and blinked.

“Uh, yep, I was,” He kept that warm smile on his face, hoping it’d distract from the awkwardness of the encounter.

Yugi came to the recuse right away, greeting his friend like there was nothing out of the ordinary. 

“Morning Ryou! Did you sleep well?” He asked, finally walking out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth.

“Surprisingly yes I did. How about yourself?” The flower boy was honestly getting enjoyment from their small talk. 

Malik scrolled by, slouching a little from still being tired from just waking up. His hands were comfortably shoved in his jacket pockets as his fingers looped around his keychain and jiggled the key to his motorcycle out of anguished. 

“Hey Yugi, you really have to keep your dog on a leash,” He spoke nonchalantly, stopping next to Ryou’s slightly shorter stature. 

“Ah, I know you’re mad Malik. But ease up a little,” The shorter male laughed nervously.

The comment was far from appreciated as Jounouchi jumped on it right away.

“Hey! Why dontcha’ say dat’ to my face!” He barked out, stepping closer towards the intimidating stature of the fellow thug.

“Oh, now you understand me?” Malik sneered. 

Yugi quickly grabbed onto his best friend’s arm and tugged him back.

“Come on Joey! It’s too early in the morning for this. Don’t you think?” he tried to coax him away.

While the King of Games played his part, so did Ryou as he linked arms with his lover and escorted him away to the front door to slip on their shoes that were set down on a mat nearby.

“Hey Ryou, how do ya’ deal with that guy?” Jounouchi asked in disbelief as they walked by.

“I guess, I have my ways,” He answered inquisitively. 

\--

Almost a week has gone by since their incredibly embarrassing incident and somehow the charms of the Egyptian had persuaded his precious partner into some kind of kinky play. It was agreed that nothing extreme would be done such as choking since Ryou had expressed enough that he was more than uncomfortable to act on something like that. Which meant that any other kind of hitting was off the table. And Malik wasn’t disappointed, he didn’t want to be beaten to death or anything. He just thrived off the adrenaline that came with being roughened up while being in a vulnerable state. Malik knew very well his deviant desires probably made him look more manic than how he normally came across but he didn’t care. That’s what he liked and Ryou seemed to understand his wild fantasies after taking some time to discuss them throughout the past few days, even if he was unwilling to do most of the things Malik wanted to request. The flower boy was okay with restraining since it didn’t necessarily involve causing outward harm; which led the couple down the rabbit hole of bondage. Malik thought it was an easy opinion for his darling anyway, considering that Ryou was already pretty good at tying knots pretty well. The Arab knew this from one of the stories his partner had told him that somehow was talented enough to have tied himself to the headboard of his bed back when he thought that was going to stop the thief’s rampage. And further evidence was course, seeing him do inane tasks like when it was laundry day and tying their bag to the luggage rack was required. 

So here they were. Sitting in Ryou’s room in the middle of the night with Yugi nowhere in sight since he was attending one of the Kaiba Corp nomikais and wouldn't be home for the next few hours. Luckily for Yugi, Seto Kaiba actually never attended any of those things, though it would be quite hilarious to picture the pompous jackass drunk and slurring. The couple had their own drinks, a bottle of red wine Ryou kept in the apartment for special occasions. Being seated on the floor and scrolling through a multitude of risque pictures of bodies tied up in intricate ways was not his idea of a special occasion, but it will do. The alcohol would calm his nerves and it was a nice switch up to Malik’s weapon of choice which was normally beer or some form of hard liquor like vodka. It was already the end of the day to where his partner’s medication should be leveling out so he didn’t feel that guilty for engaging in a little drinking with him.

“I can’t believe you sent me all of these at work,” Ryou said, continuing to skim through the photos that popped up on the screen of his smartphone and took a sip of wine from his glass he was holding in the other hand.

He had not vocalized it yet but he could admit some of the images were artistic looking and beautifully taken. He even found himself admiring some of the photos of the women that Malik had sent him. Even if it wasn’t his cup of tea the way the knotting looked around the curves of these female bodies was striking. It was already decided that Ryou wasn’t going to attempt any of these complex full body designs, at least not yet anyway. Just standard binding of the hands was to look forward to for tonight. His brown eyes scanned upward and at Malik who was sitting in front him in the chair to the desk with his legs spread apart and lounging his back casually as he sipped from his own glass. 

“That makes it only much more fun, doesn’t it, ya amar?” His lips curled when he grinned and bent over to pick up the bottle by the neck to refill his glass.

Ryou frowned as he watched him take a large gulp. He didn’t like this, it was already his third glass. That was enough. The more delicate partner stood up from the floor finally, setting his wine and phone on top of the dresser that was behind him. 

“Should we get started?” He asked, giving up on stalling any further seeing that if he allowed, Malik would finish up the whole bottle by himself. 

“Sure,” He nodded with keen eyes following his lover and slowly stood up from the chair when Ryou’s back was turned to him.

The flower boy opened one of the drawers to his desk that consisted of a bunch of crafting supplies that raged from standard items like papers and pens to important more things like tubes of paint, different kinds of essential tools used for creating his Dungeons & Dragons figurines and plenty of dice, a favorite of his being a set Ryuji made for him out of resin, colored a deep violet and speckled with gold symbols. After searching momentarily in this drawer, seeing that what he was looking for was nowhere in sight he closed it and opened around another one and felt around. By this time Malik had grown inpatient and embraced him from behind. Attacking his neck with kisses and light nips as his hands latched onto the bottom hem of his dress shirt, seeing that he was still in his work clothes from earlier. Ryou closed his eyes, trying to resist his urges and stay focused as he pressed his back into the Egyptian’s chest. 

“Amane,” He muttered out, lowering his hand to cease Malik’s.

Uttering the girl’s name caused him to pull away from his feeble partner’s body and turn to the large bookcase that took up most of the wall. It was the biggest piece of furniture in the peculiar man’s room. The shelves primarily housed display cases of Ryou’s favorite Dungeon & Dragon pieces and collector items. Other things were a variety of books, some historical and others being fantasy novels. And of course, occult decor that was sparsely scattered around. He was a big fan of skulls, seeing that there were many kinds of them at odd places in the room. There was also a lot of other creepy stuff that once included an ugly pufferfish soaked in alcohol and preserved in a jar but didn’t survive one of the household’s crazy drunken nights where it was shattered to the floor during a brawl between the two hot-headed blonds. It wasn’t replaced yet and hopefully, wouldn’t be. The cute little innocent face of Amane shined through, among all the unusual chachkis on the shelf. As appointed, Malik found the framed photo and gently set it face down. It was something the couple always did whenever they found themselves getting hot and heavy in this bedroom. The Arab didn’t find this odd, he wouldn’t want the image of his siblings staring down at him in such intimate acts either.

Ryou waited for Mailk to cover Amane’s face as he kept his head down, staring into the mess inside his desk and slowly closed it to turn around to see that his lover had already stripped out of his clothes and was nude in front him. The flower boy blushed at this, clenching the fairly thin and short cord rope. It wasn’t very sturdy and probably not the best for what they wanted to use it for. The original purpose was to tie down their laundry bag after all. Just the sight of it seemed to excite the bizarre foreigner as he smirked devilishly.

“Well, don’t you look menacing with that,”

His voice became slick when teasing, taking a step forward and leaned in close to cup the other man’s face and gave him a kiss. Ryou accepted it as he dropped his arm down back to his side and tilted to his head to deepen the kiss for a moment; already feeling the blissful warmth spread through his body. Ah, yes. The wine was aiding his nerves. Before anything could escalate further the flower boy broke the kiss first and gazed up at Malik, a bit uncertain.

“What would you like our uh, safe word to be?” He averted his eyes to the side from embarrassment. 

“Chicken,” He answered without skipping a beat.

Ryou’s face flushed at this, doubling over and gripping onto his partner’s strong forearms so he didn’t fall; the rope still dangling in his hand still. He was floored at his quick response as a laugh escaped him. He was hysterical of how Malik must have thought this over already and of course this deviant man would have picked the word that started it all. He cocked his head curiously down at Ryou, keeping a playful smirk as he gripped onto his slim arms.

“Are you alright?”

The flower boy took a moment to contain himself and nodded slowly.

“You’re just so insufferable,” He snickered out, letting his bangs hang in his face.

He was laughing out of nervousness now that the wine had made him giddy. Malik watched on in amusement, finding his more delicate partner’s shyness adorable. He slipped an arm out of his hold to tap under his chin so Ryou was forced to look up at him.

“If I am so insufferable then why don’t you punish me for it?” 

His tone was dark and dangerous and that sparked something strange within the gentle flower boy as he suddenly pushed Malik away and stood up straight, holding onto the rope tightly in his hand.

“Get on your knees and turn around for me,” He ordered sharply.

“...please,” He added quickly as the sound of his stern voice startled himself.

Malik couldn’t mask the satisfaction in his expression as he liked the hint of aggression he was seeing in his frail lover. At his request, he did so, slowly turning back around so the etching on his back was all Ryou was able to see before dropping down to his knees and crossed his arms behind him.

“There is no need to be polite, ya helo. I am here for your disposal,” He told him calmly and closed his eyes.

The term he referred to himself made Ryou feel terrible. He didn’t view Malik in that light at all and certainly didn’t want to treat him that way either. He stayed quiet as he crouched down and took the rope, wrapping it around his wrists tightly. He had found a proper example of doing this with a quick search on the internet and was going by that as reference. 

“Don’t say that to me,” Ryou said softly in disgust.

He tightened the main knot to make sure it was secure before taking a hold of Malik’s shoulder and turned him around to get a good look at his perfectly sculpted face. The defiant Arab surprisingly had no sarcastic comeback as he looked up in almost admiration. 

“Then what would you like me to say?” 

The words came out like velvet. Ryou felt himself becoming flustered at the sight of his partner in such a degrading position. Malik’s body was perfect and he knew it. From his dark complexion that contrasted to his light colored hair and eyes and the impressive construct to his muscular body, he was so dutiful maintaining. He was simply irresistible, it was impossible not the ogle at him. 

“Nothing, sit back down in the chair,” He said as he watched Malik slowly stand and look over his shoulder to inch his way back into the seat.

Ryou stood there stiffly, feeling completely out of his comfort zone doing this. But at the same time, why did he feel this excitement? Was it because of that exact reason? That he was feeling like a fish out of water that it made this whole situation so much more enticing. He had a beautiful foreign man tied up and sitting in his bedroom that was ready to do whatever he wished. This was baffling. He couldn’t believe it and he must have looked odd just standing there. He shook his head to gather his thoughts as best he could before approaching the chair and crawled into Malik’s lap. He sat up straight and crushed his lips to his as he lowered a hand down to wrap his slender fingers around his partner’s slightly lively shaft. It was begging for attention and this gentle soul of man was willing to help. The kiss slowly broke when Ryou noticed the Egyptian’s arm starting to struggle a bit.

“Is the rope too tight?” He asked in concern, petting just the tip to tease him.

Malik shook his head, trying to keep himself composed as he kept his eyes pinpointed down to the other man's protrusion in his trousers.

“You are hard,” He stated, trying to brush his knee against his bulge. 

Ryou winced at this, pressing his groin into the edge of his knee to get better friction. He also saw it as a cue to start hastily undressing. Starting with unbuttoning his shirt first and tossing it aside and then unzipping his pants and pulling them halfway down alongside his boxers, too eager to take them off altogether. He rose his hips up a tad as he spits into his palm, a technique he learned from his provocative partner, and held both their shafts together as he firmly stroked them. As he did this he began grazing his mouth along his collarbones and down his chest to playfully nibble and twist at his sensitive nipples. The flower boy’s effort at showing his irresistible lover affection must have been working seeing that Malik was now squirming in the chair, thrusting his hips upwards and against the other man’s shaft. The way those pale hands vigorously moved and slowed down to almost the point of stopping was maddening. His warm pink tongue was so wet and felt amazing when the sharp pain of his teeth nipped against him. Malik was definitely the more vocal partner between them. His helpless whimpering was filling the four walls of the room. When Ryou lifted his head their gazes met; the vulnerable Egyptain’s eyes were fogged with pure ecstasy. It was captivating and before Ryou could act first Malik caught him into a harsh kiss and bit his bottom lip and tugged it before letting go.

“I need you, habibi, I need you,” He begged out breathlessly.

He slammed his back into the chair out of frustration as his squirming became more desperate. Ryou’s cheeks tinted red in color as he got up immediately and took hold of his partner’s arm to help him up. He started directing the enthralled man towards the bed which he dragged his feet in protest at and finally shoved his arm away to free himself. The aggressive movement struck panic in the flower boy as he turned to observe Malik’s face. He wasn’t angry, that was surprising for some reason.

“The desk,” He said, raising a shoulder to move towards it.

The desk? Really? Between the two of them, Ryou was the one with the full-sized bed and he would rather be slammed against that uncomfortable thing? Perhaps he shouldn’t really complain. It was supposed to be Malik’s turn tonight and it’s honestly been a while since the more delicate partner pulled his weight and pleasured his lover in this way. They both liked being on the receiving end of it and well, because of that, they had to compromise a lot of the time. Ryou didn’t disagree with him as he answered with a simple.

“Okay.”

He followed Malik when he turned towards the desk that was practically next to the bed. Before they started Ryou gathered an armful of the clutter that occupied the top of the desk, including his laptop and tossed it onto the comforter so there was enough space for this beautiful foreign man to rest against. When he spun back around he was greeted with Malik dropping back onto his knees and swiftly fished the tip of his beloved’s shaft into his mouth with the help of his tongue as he managed to wrap his lips around the rest of it and started bobbing his head frantically. He looked delighted every single time he performed this vulgar act and it didn’t matter how many times Ryou experienced this, he was entranced by it regardless of the circumstance. 

“M-Mailk--” He felt himself melting into his mouth as he instinctively placed his hands to the back of his head and jutted his hips.

His length traveled further down the other man’s throat as he cringed with a cough; his gag reflex started reacting to roughness. Instead of pushing away Malik was obedient and stayed put as he got a sense of thrill from feeling his lover’s shaft twitch against his tongue. His watering eyes is what made Ryou realize the severity of their play and quickly pulled away. Malik gasped for air and started to choke as a good hard cough is what he needed to compose himself. A thin trail of drool dripped from his mouth and onto the floor as he panted, curling his fingers through his restraint and jerked his arms out of eagerness. Ryou bent down to his level and rubbed a hand down his back to help relax him. 

“Mailk! I’m sorry. Are you okay?” He leaned closer to squeeze the back of his neck lovingly.

The Arab nudged away from him as he steadily crawled back up onto his feet and lowered his head and part of his chest down onto the top of the desk and lifted his rear up for display.

“Now,” He commanded.

He didn’t have to say another word as Ryou got right back up and situated himself behind his partner and took hold of his length and very carefully glided his way through. Just the feeling of being filled up made the needy Egyptian let out a sweet moan.

“O-Ooh~”

Once feeling steady enough, Ryou grabbed a hold of his lover’s sides to begin shallow thrusting. Malik licked his lips and thumped his head down as his glossed over eyes were half-lidded from pleasure. He started jostling around his arms again when the thrusting gradually became more forceful. The temptation was now in control of Ryou as he ran his fingertips down the inscription of his gorgeous athletic back. His other hand found its place against his perfectly crafted abdominal and lowered it down to take hold of his shaft that was stiff against his belly. The pressure of their two bodies conjoined made the desk start to rock with the harsh motion. After trailing a few kisses down some of the hieroglyphs the flower boy laid his torso flat against his partner’s back as the coiling he felt around him was too much to bear. 

“Harder, habibi, harder, harder, harder,” Malik started chanting weakly as he so desperately wanted to reach his climax, pressing his cheek to the cool wood of the desk.

While letting out a moan of his own. Ryou obliged and straightened his posture out to buck his hips more wildly into him. He held onto his restraints to keep Malik from sliding away. It caused his partner to holler in pleasure as a soapstone bowl that still had the remnants of burnt sage crashed onto the floor due to the desk slamming against the wall. Malik squirmed uncontrollably, loosening the rope but not enough to free his hands. A weary smile graced the Arab’s face when his vision suddenly flashed to white when the overwhelming feeling of orgasm finally peaked. When Malik came to, he was slumped against the floor on his stomach with his rear still sticking up. He realized his hands were free from being bound when he was able to sit up by himself effortlessly. A jolt of panic struck him when Ryou threw arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh, thank goodness! You startled me!” He whined loudly, burying his face into the crook of his neck and pecked at his skin.

Malik hugged back, peeking his eyes over the other man’s shoulder and spotted the rope sprawled out on the floor, and felt his lower half twitch from recognizing the pleasure.

“What happened?” He asked, softly, trying to get a grasp of the situation. 

“You collapsed right off the desk! You should have said chicken!” Ryou fussed as he slipped away.

“Chicken?” He squinted in confusion. 

“Yes, Malik, chicken. Our safe word. Don’t you recall?” He was starting to calm down seeing that his partner was regaining consciousness. 

He hung his head down once he remembered, trying not to chuckle but failed. This reaction didn’t bode well with the flower boy sitting across from him as he was fainter at heart than his daring lover.

“Please, Malik, don't make a joke of this! You had me very worried!” 

He placed one hand over his heart still looking a bit petrified from the whole ordeal. The more delicate partner gazed over at him in awe when the frivolous Egyptain reached over and grabbed onto his hand to kiss the top of it.

“There was no need for a safe word, you gave me exactly what I wanted.”

His stare was cunning and used that voice which held such slick seductive in its tone that he mastered over time and it always made Ryou feel weak in the knees. He was so insufferable, it was amazing. 

\--

After a nice long soak in the tub and a change of clothes, the couple decided to retire back into Ryou’s room since it was easier for both of them to fit in his bed for the night. Malik was growing tired of the flower boy’s apologizing for the irritation around his wrists, he had gotten rope burn from trying to break free from his restraint. He didn’t fault Ryou, he wanted to be tied up and frankly, he enjoyed the pain that came from his skin being dug into by the twine material of the rope. Even after explaining that to his uneasy partner, he still persisted. The Egyptian stood there, trying to hide his annoyance with a calm expression and he held his arms out to his precious lover as he smothered the glaring burn marks with a generous amount of aloe ointment, which they had quite a large bottle of since Ryou’s pale skin was very sensitive to the sun. 

“What should we tell people if they see?” He carried on with worry, finishing up one of his arms and gestured for the other. 

Malik rolled his eyes, placing his untreated wrist into Ryou’s grasp as he got a glimpse of the items set on top of the dresser and reached past the half-empty wine glass that was forgotten about and picked up a gold cuff bracelet the Arab must have left in here from another time he spent the night. When Ryou was finished Malik was able to slip the bracelet over one of his wrists to shield the pestering burn mark.

“Easy enough, right?” He said dryly, raising an arm to show him.

Ryou was about to come back at him with his own attempt at a witty remark but soon was distracted by the sound of the front door slamming shut. This also caused alarm in Malik as he turned to face the open door of the bedroom when the short build of their roommate, Yugi, appeared in the threshold looking pretty disheveled; his tricolored hair sticking up every which way and his suit was a wrinkled mess with his tie missing. Even if the couple didn’t know where their friend was all night they could tell just by looking at his stupefied face that he was completely wasted.

“H-hey!--” He hiccuped and managed to slide himself into the room by brushing his back against the wall and spread his arms out on both sides for support so he didn’t fall over, he stepped onto the smudging bowl that was still on the floor but was unphased.

Ryou blinked in surprise and made eye-contact with his partner, looking mighty concerned. Malik gave the slightest of nods to the flower boy in response just to show acknowledgment before turning back towards the gentle rebel with a raised brow.

“Hey,” The Arab answered awkwardly.

“Heeeeey!~” His voice erupted into an annoying chime. 

“I just wanna tell you that I love you big _gays!_ ” 

He stressed the word gay when he blurted it out, slouching as he stood up from the wall and pointed aggressively at the pair with his index finger.

Malik’s stare dulled at the comment, crossing his arms as he was becoming cautious of whatever else that was going to spew out of this kid’s mouth. As for the more delicate partner, he kept his dainty stance and continued to look on in concern for his friend.

“Thank you,” Ryou said, a bit hesitant as he was embarrassed by Yugi’s wording. 

“No, no, no, _no!_ Really! I fucking _love_ you guys soooooo _much!~_ And I wanna be big gay with you!”

He opened his arms back out and made a weird twirling movement as if he was going to fly away. Unlike Malik who stayed stone-faced due to trying to keep his cool, starting to feel irritated by his friend’s stupidity. Ryou on the other hand couldn’t take his drunken state seriously as he turned his face away and covered his mouth to contain his laughter. 

“Will you get mad if I shove him out of the room?” Malik turned his head to look down at the flower boy beside him.

“Yes, you are much worse when drunk,” Ryou answered with laughter lingering in his voice.

Yugi flapped his way over with his uncoordinated feet leading the way, one of the studded straps to his shoes was loose and flopping around which made him accidentally step over it. With no surprise, he lost the little balance he already had and fell straight into his two roommates. Both of them stiffened up from the impact with Ryou easing up first and hugging his cherished friend close to him. The gentle rebel laid against the other man’s slender frame like a sack of potatoes as he clumsily felt his hand around for Malik who quickly pulled himself away from the sloppy fool.

“Don’t touch me,” he growled under his breath, slapping his hand away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malik sleeping naked and not wearing underwear actually stemmed from the fact that it's cannon from the Yugioh art book that he zips his pants but doesn’t button them. (And I love that!) 
> 
> I always considered Malik more than just gay because he’s such a free-spirt. Even in themillenniumroommates Malik’s profile, his sexual orientation is labeled “????” which I think is for a few reasons. One, it’s supposed to be funny and kinda keep the crush he has for Ryou hidden. And two, The way Malik is portrayed in the comic is that he seems really uncomfortable with his sexuality which I also like to show in my fic. If I had to pick a label for my Malik, I’d say he’s probably pansexual. My guy likes to experiment.~
> 
> I could write a whole goddamn essay on Malik with bondage and his sexuality. So I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. It’s canon that his Yami takes great pleasure in seeing people harmed. So I figured that the core altar of Mailk would be the opposite. And because I made my version of Malik suffer from extreme guilt I could picture him getting thrilled by being humiliated. I also see my Malik as more of a submissive partner than a dominating one. He only teases Ryou because he knows Ryou is gentle. That’s why I was surprised when you guys told me that Malik tends to be the ‘dom’ partner with TKB. 
> 
> Speaking of TKB I know I always refer to him as a corrupted soul and an example of what not to be. (It’s true though.) I actually do really like him as a character. 
> 
> Ryou’s fear of losing control and hurting Malik was inspired by season 0 because that’s a trait of thought and a plot point of how he sabotaged the game to save his friends. But imagine how pissed TKB would be if he woke up to those traps. “Wtf? That son of a bitch!” And then he’d spitefully f*ck up Ryou’s body just to teach him a lesson.
> 
> I thought it’d be a really funny idea that one of the reasons why Malik and Jou constantly fight is because they don’t understand each other so they interrupt what is being said wrong and start fights because they are both hot-headed. (Also, Joey having a Kansai accent is the equivalent to his Brooklyn one)
> 
> A nomikai is like, gatherings, parties? Where businessmen go out to bars and stay out an absurd amount of time with their colleagues drinking heavily.
> 
> “ya amar” means my moon and I love that because it’s apparently a sun and moon metaphor is a thing in the fandom.


	6. Drenched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't see straight, I can't see me  
> There's too much hurt caught in between  
> Wish I could be what I know I am  
> This moment's hijacked my plans  
> Yeah, I can see it in your face  
> You don't think I've pulled my weight

A generic rock jingle rang from Malik’s smartphone that was placed on the coffee table in the dinky living room of the apartment. He was seated on the couch with his back arched and arms comfortably folded over his legs as he intently watched the phone vibrate against the wooden tabletop. The screen was lit up showing a headshot of his beautiful sister Isis. The picture was of her with a genuine smile gracing her lips and a face bare from makeup. The wide brim of a straw hat shielded her dark blue eyes from the bright sunlight that was prominent from the shadowing over her dark skin in the photo. It was taken on one of their first vacation trips as a family after they were freed from their tomb keeper duties. Malik was the one who had taken this particular photo, recalling how his sister’s hat kept getting swept away by the wind. He had other pictures saved somewhere on a flash drive from that same day where Rishid was notably holding her hat down for her as his large palm rested on the back of her head. It was a snippet in time he wanted to remember forever; those memories seemed to taste so much sweeter back then compared to how currently felt about life. Pathetic really, and he was the only one to blame for that and it sickened him.

The vibrating along with the ringing came to a halt before the screen faded back to black and a message box popped up with the image of his beautiful sister informing him that he had missed her call three times. Isis would always call three times before texting him right after to what she wanted to tell him. And Malik never picked up the phone, only answering the texts due to feeling more comfortable that way. It had become such a habit between the two of them and yet, it never stopped his older sister from persisting from trying to speak to him over the phone. There was of course a large part of him that felt guilty for not answering, he was sure that she missed him dearly and just wanted to hear his voice. He missed her as well and also felt great comfort from hearing her soft voice from the other line but the unknown reasoning for the call is what prevented him from answering. Even small talk scared him because it normally trailed off to the question of how his mental health was and expressing concern about it. And Malik just didn’t want to deal with it. He knew Isis did it because she cared for him but he just wanted to be left alone. He kept still and waited for the _ping_ noise from the incoming text he’d get from her next. 

“You can’t just ignore her like that.”

Ryou’s calm voice had dragged the Egyptian’s muddled thoughts back to the surface as he slowly lifted his head back up to peer over at him standing by the card table that set up for game night. It was Yugi’s turn to host tonight and Ryuji was the one providing the game, a prototype of his own creation, and perhaps in hopes of having the former King of Games help him pitch a campaign for it to Kaiba Corp. The other two roommates normally took turns hosting game night since Malik was the least committed to gaming compared to the fellow geeks he lived with. He always engaged when it was Ryou’s turn to host for Dungeons and Dragons though. Even if he still didn’t really understand the concept completely he still enjoyed playing it and seeing how engrossed his darling became while playing. 

“I will answer her in a moment,” He said, sitting up straight once the phone lit up again.

Ryou rolled his eyes at this, walking into the living room as he carried two mugs. He handed his partner the rounded black one and plopped down next to him.

“You can’t just keep ignoring Isis like that, Malik,” He said, crossing his leg while leaning back into the cushions of the couch as he took a sip from a tall skinny cup that had a vintage looking flower painted on it. 

“I’m not ignoring her. I’m going to answer her message right now,” He insisted as he set the mug of tea down and picked up his phone. 

Ryou wrapped both his hands around his mug, enjoying the warmth it gave him as he caught a glimpse of himself as the background of Malik’s phone. It was an image of the flower boy and a hanging skeleton posing romantically in front of his favorite occult shop that was located in a neighboring town. He hid his smile behind the edge of his cup and looked away when his partner opened his inbox, wanting to respect his privacy. 

In typical fashion, Malik took his time studying the message over as he was the type to overthink everything that was said. After a long pause, he spoke without Ryou having to ask him outright. 

“She wants me to accompany her to an affair that’s going on downtown tonight,” He slowly said, eyes glued to the text.

“Really? I didn’t even know Isis was back in Japan,” Ryou mused, taking another sip of tea before lowering it into his lap to hold.

“Neither did I,” Malik admitted, looking over at his partner for support.

“What should I say?”

“Well, how do you feel?” 

There was another hesitation. 

“I’m not sure? Why didn’t she bother telling me that she was coming back to Domino beforehand? She must have at least been here since last night!” He sighed out in frustration. 

Ryou smiled out of amusement, observing how Malik’s mind liked playing tricks on him and blocked him from the truth of the matter.

“It’s more than likely because she probably thinks you’ll decline the offer,” He shrugged, leaning forward to set his mug down next to the untouched one.

“That’s ridiculous!” He scoffed, lowering his phone down in his hands.

“You don’t answer your phone. What is she supposed to think?” Ryou’s tone became sharp, trying to get his point across.

It all seemed to sink in now, Ryou could tell by how the Arab’s expression suddenly dropped as he looked back down at his screen to reread the message yet again.

“It doesn’t feel good to get a taste of your own medicine does it?” He lightened up a bit, seeing that Malik was starting to shake his leg out of anguish. 

“Shut up.”

That answer was enough to allow the silence to settle between as his partner absorbed what he thought was the wiser choice. Ryou didn't speak to Isis a lot, but he was friendly with her and felt comfortable talking to her. She had accepted the peculiar young man from the start and there wouldn’t be any surprise if she caught onto the couple’s attraction towards each other before they were open about it. He understood the woman enough to know that she did feel bad when her brother didn’t answer her calls. She worried a lot and there was more than one occasion where she had contacted Ryou because her baby brother had neglected to answer her. And if the flower boy didn’t get back to her right away then she resorted to Yugi. Unlike Rishid, Isis didn’t mind crossing boundaries to take proper precautions to keep her brother safe. She was honorable and that way and Ryou was flattered to have her as an unofficial sister-in-law. 

“Or you can always tell her that you're obligated to game night if you rather not go.”

He suggested gently, trying to be supportive of whatever the Egyptian decided; not wanting to make him feel guilty for his choice. At this point Malik had laid back into the couch with eyes closed tightly and his side comfortably overlapping against the slender frame of his partner in the process. Soon the sound of rummaging in the kitchen caught Ryou’s ear as he looked over and saw Yugi gathering pots and pans together with the ingredients to the snacks that were being made for tonight. He believed they settled on nachos seeing that there was a bag of some sort of American brand tortilla chips sitting on the countertop. His macabre partner laid a hand on his thigh and patted it lovingly to give him some sort of assurance before standing up with his now empty mug.

“Do whatever you think is right, Malik,” Ryou kissed the top of his head before excusing himself into the kitchen with Yugi to lend a hand in the prep work. 

He stayed unmoved on the couch, having his hands covering his face with his eyes shut tightly, lost in thought. He abruptly sat upright again and picked up his phone that he had dropped in his lap and dialed his sister’s number out of a last minute whim before he lost the little courage he had. The opposite line picked up quickly with Isis’s smooth sounding voice was faintly legible through the phone. Malik slowly rubbed his hand down his face as he greeted his sister sweetly in Arabic. Ryou recognizes this tone of voice from his partner. He didn’t speak this way often and when he did it was while conversing with one of his siblings. To a point, the flower boy would consider it a bit insincere since the Arab sounded like he was forcing himself to be polite. The only consolation on Ryou’s end was that he thought Malik’s native speaking voice sounded much sexier. It was because he held confidence since it was his first language. 

Soon the soft-spoken Arabic was getting more difficult to understand when Ryou got more involved with the cooking as Yugi chatted with him about a current podcast he would listen to while he worked. He highly enjoyed hanging out with the eccentric punk; besides sharing the same interests he was also easygoing and always knew what to say at the right moment. If the flower boy was considered Malik’s rock then Yugi was for sure his. It wasn’t always easy communicating with his lover when he allowed his mind to imprison him. And the gentle rebel was always willing to lend an ear. He was definitely a cherished friend.

\--  
Malik had made himself scarce right after hanging up from the phone. He didn’t say what the outcome of the call was because Ryou was now preoccupied with meal prepping with Yugi; he could venture a guess and say he had probably caved in and decided to escort his sister to the event she had mentioned since he didn’t offer to help set up for the company that was going to arrive shortly. He had locked himself in his room, most likely to proceed with his exercise routine that included push-ups and sit-ups. He had not done them yet and it was around that time a day the Egyptian engaged in his regiment. He didn’t come out until a while after when Ryuji and Jounouchi showed up. Sometimes Honda would tag along just for the shits and giggles but due to being a working-class man with a lot on his plate, he showed up rarely. 

They set up the prototype of the game on the card table as Ryuji was already bragging about it even before he opened the box, and of course, it involved dice. Which had Ryou’s attention since everybody knew he was a fan of those kinds of board games. He even brought out some of the extra dice he kept in his room. Jounouchi wasn’t as thrilled by the concept as his ghostly friend and Yugi. The blond was still as dedicated to Duel Monsters since high school and had impressively gained quite a social media following between all the tournaments he had won and the vlogging series he had started while traveling around. He still hasn’t surpassed Kaiba in his numbers, and probably wouldn't. But he was wearing the third rate duelist with a fourth-grade deck title with pride nowadays. 

Besides the batch of nachos the two roommates made. Jounouchi brought a six-pack of beer with him and Ryuji contributed a dish of fried rice that he swore was the best they’d ever have. There was an old wise tale that if a man was good at making fried rice he was good with the ladies as well. And in the case of the charming Clown Prince, it might turn out to be true. 

Malik didn’t appear until the group of friends was in the middle of the game, laughter and chatting could be heard even more when the Arab reached the opening to the living room where they managed to squeeze the small table in the kitchen. He was topless and wore yellow track pants with a black stripe going down them and carried a tank top in his hand as he poked his head through the doorway. His appearance earned him a friendly greeting from the guests.

“Hey Malik, how are you doing, man?” Ryuji greeted smoothly.

“You gonna sit your ass down and join us?” Jounouchi chimed in right after.

Malik purposely ignored them as he directed his stare mainly at Ryou, giving Yugi a brief glance as well.

“I’m going jogging. I’ll be back soon,” He informed them and swiftly turned away before anybody could answer as he started pulling his tank top over his head.

“Okay,” Ryou was able to squeak out with a short wave before he disappeared. 

“Be safe!” Yugi added before he made it to the front door.

Ryuji raised a brow and looked stumped.

“What’s up with that guy?”

“Don’t worry Duke, it’s not worth the trouble,” Yugi’s eyes closed when he tried breaking the tension with a smile. 

Jounouchi was already far used to the foreigner’s unpredictable nature as he made a soft slurping noise while drinking a can of beer.

“Forget that jerk and throw the damn dice already!” The delinquent tossed the empty can aside and stretched over to snatched them up.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing Joey? Cough them up!” Ryuji stretched up from his seat and tried grabbing for the dice.

It only caused Jounouchi to raise his hand up in the air to make it more difficult for him to reach.

“Nah! You snooze you lose, man!” He started cackling.

Beyond all the laughter and the good time that was unfolding, Ryou couldn’t help but get a bad feeling about Malik. His brooding was to blame and that normally led to bad behavior. 

\--  
The friends continued their gameplay and by the time the disgruntled Egyptian came back they had already switched from Ryuji’s cheesy game to one an old stand by Yugi owned since he was a kid, Capsule Monsters. Nobody had noticed Malik when he came back, besides Ryou who had been worrying about him since he left the apartment. The upper part of his tank top was soaked in sweat, along with the underarm area. Hopefully, he was feeling much calmer now that it looked like he blew off some steam by burning the energy he had pent up. Nothing looked out of the ordinary until Ryou noticed him carrying a convenience store in his hand. He found this to be odd but didn’t act on it because it would only attract attention to Malik who had already made a bad impression tonight. It wasn’t until after he showered off all the sweat that he made his presence known again; by blasting techno sounding music with an electric guitar riff in its chorus from the bathroom as he got ready for the party he was supposed to attend.

The sudden blare of music was out of nowhere and startled Yugi as he was about to reveal one of his monsters from its shell, causing his hands to lose grip and drop the little figurine onto the floor. At this point, Jounouchi was fed up with the inconsiderate attitude of their annoying roommate. 

“One of yous better say somethin’ to that fuckin’ guy. Or I’m gonna have to!” The blond bashed a fist onto the table so hard he made it wobble along with the now empty bowl of nachos. 

Ryuji stretched his lips into an unimpressed frown with brows lowered in annoyance.

“Yeah? And what are you gonna do, knucklehead? Just shut up and finish your turn already,” He tried brushing off his bluff.

“Nah, man! That guy gotta’ problem every time I see his miserable face, and I’m sick of it!” His voice started gradually getting louder with each word.

“Yeah Jou, take it easy. You know what happens when you start a conflict,” Yugi tried reasoning with this friend before another brawl happens and something else is broken during the chaos. 

Without a word Ryou pushed out his chair and stood up with his palms placed neatly on top of the table as he excused himself quietly before leaving the room. He grabbed a small umbrella that was propped up by the front door to use as a decoy for if he was faced with aggression when he approached the bathroom, which he had a good hunch he was. Three light bulbs were shining brightly as Malik slouched over and staring at himself in the mirror and already dressed in different clothing. 

Which consisted of jeans that were fashionably ripped from the upper thigh and down; a black long-sleeve thermal shirt that was tight enough in the right places to accentuate his muscles. What topped off the outfit was the military style leather vest that Malik had owned since a teenager, it was kept in pretty good condition considering how old it was as it still had all the metal pieces intact including the Egyptian air force pin that depicted a pair of gold wings and the golden eagle in the middle. A few other enamel pins were added over time. Like the cartoonishly looking grim reaper giving the peace sign that Ryou had given not too long ago.

The music was coming from an old stereo radio that was set on the toilet he bought years ago back in his home country in the marketplace. Malik had a collection of CDs he still played, preferring the old school way of listening to music instead of just using his phone.

A pocket-sized container was in front of him on the sink that held his contact lens. After getting to know Malik well enough the flower boy had learned that his vision was not the best after all the years of living in darkness for so long. The Egyptian had convinced himself that his poor sight was because he was cursed with the same pigment as his father. Believing that his inherited lavender eyes were to blame for his poor vision since both his siblings had darker colored eyes than him and they seemed just fine. Ryou was skeptical at his partner’s theory but didn’t find it worth it to argue. The plus side was that he claims that his sight has improved over time by adjusting to the sunlight. Nevertheless, he still tended to get migraines from too much brightness. 

Ryou watched him tilt his head back and pulled at his bottom eye-lid to squeeze a few drops of lubrication into his iris before very cautiously repeating the same process again, but this time with a contact lens on the tip of his finger and very slowly placed it on. Malik had noticed his partner standing outside the threshold this whole time but was too focused on the task at hand to outwardly let him know. After giving a few blinks to make sure the lenses were intact he finally showed acknowledgment. 

“I’m not lowering it. They could go to hell.” 

He scoffed out, without letting Ryou get a word in edgewise as he picked up the tiny gold flask that contained the kohl he wore and gave it a stir before leaning his face closer to the mirror to apply it. He sounded like a bratty teenage boy, old habits die hard. Ryou said nothing at first as he was too busy observing. Something was off, and he couldn’t place a finger on it until he physically stepped into the bathroom next to his impossible partner. A bottle of melon flavored soda that was more than a quarter gone was sitting up against the mirror on the sink. This was odd in itself since the Egyptian didn’t drink soda. Unless he was using it to mix alcohol into it to water it down since he didn't like the burning taste of vodka. Which he only bought because it was fairly cheap and did the job.

“I came to offer you an umbrella since it’s supposed to rain again tonight,” He faked a smile, studying his lover’s face to see what kind of mood he was going to get.

“But lowering the music would be a good idea too,” He squeezed in, seeing that he didn’t have to address it on his own.

Malik kept his face close to his reflection as he was able to quickly make a perfect arched wing with his kohl after drawing it for so many years. He set the flask back down. He was reluctant at first but soon abruptly brushed past the other man’s slender frame to slam the stereo off and stood back up to stare down that gorgeous face in unenthusiasm. 

_“Fuckin’ finally!”_

Was heard from afar, back in the kitchen. Making Ryou decide that it was the best idea to slowly close the bathroom door so they were able to talk privately. This of course was only interpreted the wrong way since Malik’s mind was perpetually in the gutter and the booze he had just consumed was clouding his judgment. Seeing the gesture as a come-on rather than for what it was, to confront him about his questionable behavior. The flower boy had grown too familiar with his mannerisms when his partner was ready to pounce on him. He took a few steps back and held the umbrella out to keep a distance between them, seeing that Malik was trudging over to him. He bumped into the toilet by accident when he unexpectedly popped open the umbrella to ward off the tipsy Arab from touching him as he was in no mood to deal with his horseplay. The large dome opening all of a sudden seemed to work, catching Malik off guard and causing him to stumble back in surprise. He lost balance easily as he fell backward into the tub in a sitting position with his long legs comically hanging over the edge. 

“What the hell, Ryou!” He yelled in utter shock.

He wasn’t able to see his beloved’s face at all. Just the damned hex circle pattern printed on the umbrella, it looked very similar to the design used on the Dark Magician card, especially since the solid color was the same shade of purple. The umbrella must have been owned by Yugi for sure.

“Now that I caught your attention without having your tongue down my throat,” Ryou spoke pleasantly, slowly folding the umbrella back into place to reveal his face again.

“It’s not too late to cancel your plans with Isis, you know,” He wrapped the tab around the umbrella to keep it closed and set it down on the sink next to that dreaded soda bottle.

Malik squinted at him curiously, trying to figure out what his problem was.

“You don’t want my tongue down your throat but you want me to stay home?” 

His lips pressed together when he scowled, setting his palms to the bottom of the tub to lift himself out carefully so he managed to sit on the edge of it instead.

“Malik, you are drunk. You can’t show up like this,” Ryou’s eyes softened when he frowned.

“I am not!” He blatantly lied, biting his tongue hard when his precious lover picked up the practically empty bottle and held it out for all to see. 

He darted his eyes away as he stared at the tile floor, feeling a complete fool now. He raised an arm and ran his fingers through his hair as an attempt to comfort himself in this tense situation.

“ It’s dangerous to be mixing liquor with your medication!” He sounded appalled, throwing the bottle into the trash basket harshly from disgust. 

He hesitated, feeling ashamed.

“There’s a possibility that I didn’t take any medication.”

He admitted, only in spite of himself. And kept his eyes focused downward, cringing at his partner’s disapproval. 

“That’s even worse!” 

Ryou turned away from him, trying desperately to keep his cool. And to sort through his thoughts so he was able to properly conduct himself without being rash and making this predicament worse. It’s not like he didn’t understand why Malik didn't take his medication. It was a hell of a psyche pill, emotional faders that would make him walk into the party like a zombie if he took the prescribed dosage. Ryou knew too well what it was like to have a vicious voice nagging in the background of the mind. The drug wasn’t a cure, just an aid to help silence whatever venom was stirring around in that unsorted brain of his. He didn’t know which was worse, dealing with a reluctant voice constantly tearing you down or feeling like your whole humanity had been stripped away from you just to numb the pain of existence. 

When he turned around Malik was already back up on his feet with a harshness glossing over his eyes. Ryou never liked the way he looked when he was drunk. Alcohol always made him angry, releasing the caged up rage that he was medicating. 

“You can’t stop me from showing my sister the best time of her life!” He took a step forward and pointed to himself sharply.

“Your false confidence will only get you so far,” Ryou told him, indifferently, referring to the booze he was using as a clutch. 

He took a few steps forward to lean in close to the other man’s face with gritted teeth, he was frustrated.

“Watch me!” He hissed, before grabbing onto the doorknob aggressively and hurried out of the bathroom.

When he left Ryou got a good whiff of his cologne lingering off his body. It smelled nice but he always wore too much of it, especially when he was trying to make up for the fact that all the booze that was going to sweat from his pores later. The flower boy picked the umbrella back up and was hot on his heels as he made it back to the front door right when the stubborn Egyptian stepped foot on the porch; heading to the makeshift garage he built himself that housed his motorcycle. 

“Malik!” He called out, stepping outside with him.

What?” He sounded put-out when he stopped in his tracks for his partner to catch up.

Ryou extended his arm to offer the umbrella out to him again, officially this time. Malik made a face at this and waved a hand in the air as a gesture to pass up the thought.

“I have no use for that thing,” He grumbled as he continued walking to the shed.

The more delicate man pressed on, staying close behind as he continued to follow and soon caught up with him to where he was able to run ahead of him slightly to circle around his larger frame and make himself present in front of him.

“Then may I request something instead?” He asked, kindly as he held his umbrella behind his back with both hands and leaned in a bit on his tip-toes.

“What now?” he groaned loudly with an eye-roll. 

“Will you wear your helmet tonight? For me, so you stay safe. Please, that’s all I ask of you.”

Ryou decided to put his crafty mind to work, taking the incentive that you get more bees with honey than vinegar. Which seemed to be working as he didn’t get a snotty remark back from the Arab as he walked past him and opened the shed door.

“Yeah, okay, sure. I’ll do it,” His tone was still rough with an annoyance, picking the helmet up from the workbench in the back of the garage.

“Thank you,” He kept his pleasant visage. 

Before Malik slipped on the helmet he turned to make eye-contact with Ryou; his glossy eyes had softened somewhat as he grabbed hold of his chin to kiss those pale lips. The flower boy allowed it, seeing that the stubborn man was taking his advice without argument. Malik had snuck his tongue between his parted lips only for a split second before Ryou quickly dropped the umbrella to the ground and grip onto his partner's broad shoulders to push himself away. Just getting a hint of a taste of the sickly sweet artificial melon flavor mixed with cheap liquor. 

"Be careful," He managed to keep the unnerved smile on his face as he squeezed his shoulders as a sign of affection. 

The Egyptian situated himself onto the bike and placed the helmet down in his lap to hold his lover's hand and rubbed his thumb lovingly into his palm. 

"Come with me."

Ryou was caught off guard by this as he slipped his hand away, not wanting to entertain his delusions. 

"Malik, I can't," He glanced down and shook his head. 

"Sure you can. Isis likes you. Just put on some shoes and come with me," He tried persisting but failed. 

"I wasn't invited and I can't constantly be your security blanket. Just somber up fast." 

“I thought wearing the helmet was all that you ask of me?” A cocky smile grew on his face, placing the helmet on and secured it.

Ryou stared at him blankly, not having enough energy to cover the discontent he felt. He took a few steps back to make sure he was out of the way as the loud revving of the engine was heard a few times before the daredevil rode off with his dear sweet Lady Death. He caught a glimpse of the chaos that was brewing within the other man’s gleaming eyes before he left, hoping everything would end up alright as the smoke from the exhaust clouded up the air.

\--

Malik had only kept his sister waiting an extra few minutes, having to recheck the address she texted him multiple times when stopping at red lights during traffic to make sure he was going in the right direction. He was heading to the swanky upper-class side of the city; he has only been in that area a couple of times when he still had full investment in the Ghouls. It was an excellent spot to hunt for rare, expensive items. Not to mention having a little fun there at the expense of others too. When he parked on the curbside a familiar feeling settled down inside him, he couldn’t quite place it. But he blamed it on the booze that was doing a lousy job at keeping his mind at bay. 

Isis caught sight of her younger brother first as he was still wandering around, this time on foot as he had his eyes to the screen of his phone and following a street map with the light growing onto his face faintly. She was standing in front of a brick historical looking building. It had more of a European construction to it then what was typically seen in this part of Japan. Malik didn’t even realize his sister was calling for him until he lifted his head up from his phone and spotted her tall, slim figure waving at him from afar. She click-clacked her way over to him in her gold pumps to meet him halfway. Isis was dressed to impress. An off white-off bodycon dress that complimented her deep complexion with a small cutout in the midsection to show-off her taut stomach. Her brother wasn’t the only Ishtar that was stunning in appearance. Two pieces of her long black hair were pulled back and secured in a gold cuff as she was still very fond of loc jewelry. A chain with a large beautiful green emerald is what has replaced the millennium necklace. A burgundy leather jacket was draped over her shoulders, keeping her warm from the crisp fall air. The young man was flattered when he saw it, considering that he had gotten his sister that jacket years ago at a five-finger discount. Before he lived a practical life. 

Looking down at her face seemed to give him a sense of relief, probably because it was embedded in him since his dear sister was always a support system. Even when his younger self thought she wasn’t. As years went on Isis had become more Westernized and followed current trends. Her make-up was immaculate, looking like the Goddess she was named after. Her cheeks were highlighted for the Gods and lips tinted a softer shade of red than her jacket. His sister always loved makeup and recalled being a foolish child and begging her to let him wear her blue shadow, remembering how hard he was hit across the face by his father when he found out. And the immense guilt he felt after when Isis received similar punishment. 

Without even thinking Malik leaned in close and embraced her tightly. It has been a long while since he had seen his sister last. And despite the neglect he had towards her phone calls he was excited to see her. Isis hugged back, rubbing her hand up and down his back. A tendency that was formed from childhood when the Egyptian woman would try to comfort the young boy.

“Sister, why are you waiting out here in the cold like this?” He straightened his posture when releasing her.

“I was waiting for you, don’t fret,” Her smile was sincere, sensing something was off when Isis swore she smelled the scent of alcohol lingering off her brother. 

There was no need to say anything, she had no proof and finger-pointing would just lead to an unwanted argument. It could be possible that the smell was from drinking from the night prior. Malik's mind seemed to still be intact as he guided his sister to the door of the building and opened it for her to walk in first and followed behind her. It was a lounge club, where you needed a membership to get into. Isis didn’t tell her younger brother this, he could just tell by the stuffy looking businessmen that mulled around the space. These were the perfect dopes that were easy to swipe from. This was bad, he didn’t belong here.

The room was fairly dark due to the lighting being dim inside; giving off a smoky atmosphere. Which couldn't be helped from the old fogies that were smoking cigars and yucking it up around the bar area of the lounge. Mailk watched them carefully, beginning to glare when picking up how these dirty men were gawking at his older sister. Without trying to draw any attention, he smoothly switched positions with Isis so he was able to walk on the same side as the wolves licking their chops at the sight of her. But there was no fooling the beautiful foreign woman as she was attuned to her brother’s actions. 

“What is wrong?” She frowned, trying to glance at the crowd of businessmen on the other side of them.

“Nothing,” he tried reassuring her and slowed his pace once they passed the bar section of the room, he took a double look just to make sure. 

He soon came to a halt and stood behind his sister’s shorter frame, still finding it funny at times remembering when he was once much smaller than Isis. And slide a hand underneath her long silky hair to untuck it from the inside her jacket. 

“Malik, you are acting rather strange. Are you alright?” A suspicious smile tugged her lips and turned to look over at him.

His expression was somber, staring at the finely carpeted floor before meeting eyes with his sister again. He was feeling a mixture of emotions and he didn’t know which ones to act on first. Anger was the dominating factor but was able to hide it enough seeing that he was sober enough to control his temper, or so he thought.

“Why must something be strange? Can’t I just show you I care!” 

He hissed out, pretty loudly. Seeing that some of the guests noticeably turned around. It caused Isis to shutter, frowning deeply at her brother’s outburst.

“Malik, please…” Her tone hushed, sounding defeated already and the night hadn’t even started yet.

The situation wasn’t getting any better from the looks of it as a familiar face graced the suffocating feeling of the room. A towering frame dressed in a bellowing navy blue peacoat and expensive white dress shoes stopped in front of the siblings. Steely blue eyes and an impassive expression is what greeted them. 

“Isis, it’s nice of you to make it,” Seto said, sounding almost charming.

He bowed to her first, which was impressive. Considering that he was such a cold man and thought too highly of himself. The Egyptian woman bowed back, stretching her arms out and wrapped both her hands around his as they shook hands.

“Thank you, Seto. It’s been quite a while. I’m happy to see you,” She told him pleasantly.

Malik took notice of how long they let their hand holding lingered. And was struck odd when his sister referred to the CEO of Kaiba Corp by his first name. Not even Yugi referred to him by his first name. Something off, very off. And it wasn’t rubbing well with the younger brother at all. His shoulders tensed up as he watched the encounter unfold, crossing his arms to his chest when Seto offered his hand out to Malik. He declined, he wasn’t here for him. Nor was he happy to see him. Granted, Malik wasn’t exactly sure what he was walking into when taking the invite but finding himself in a position where his sister and the egotistical Seto Kaiba were making googly eyes at each other was far from what he expected. He wondered if Rishid knew about this and if so, why hadn’t he informed him? What was the meaning of all this, why was he even here? 

“I see you’re just as charming from how I remember,” Seto scoffed.

“Right back at you,” Malik shrugged him off.

He wasn’t even sure what he was referring to. When was the last time he saw this conceited bastard? Was it Battle City? Surely not, probably at some function or other type of event that was affiliated with the former King of Games most likely, since the two were friendly. And with his luck he was probably drunk too, guess the tycoon was in for a treat. 

“Our booth is this way, follow me,” His harsh gaze panned away from the other man and softened a tad when focusing back on Isis before turning away to head to the back of the lounge. 

Malik grabbed hold of her wrist loosely as he leaned in to whisper into her ear as they walked.

"Isis, what is the meaning of this?" He mumbled.

"It's just a simple dinner, Malik. Just try to relax. Seto is not what he appears to be." 

She whispered back, escaping from her brother's grasp with ease. Leaving him behind while he just stood there in disbelief. It just didn't seem right. A man like Seto Kaiba was courting his sister? It was blasphemy. Perhaps he was one with the rest of these wolves. 

His lavender eyes followed the dainty steps of a cocktail waitress and snatched up a small glass of champagne off a platter that was being offered. And downed it in two seconds flat. Because, for the love of the Gods. He was going to need it.

\-- 

It was a grueling task to be crammed in a booth and listen to this snide man and the Egyptian woman engage in conservation. Thankfully, Isis had taken the seat straight across from the businessman. Leaving Malik at his rightful place next to his sister and a bottle of white wine set in the middle of the table for all to share. It still didn't take away the fact that he had the displeasure to stare upon the fool's pompous face as he'd catch an inkling of a smile now and then when speaking to his sister. He had completely disassociated himself from the couple with the highball drink he ordered aiding him greatly in spite of Isis trying to steer the stubborn Arab away from any kind of alcohol. He refused to deal with this treacherous encounter without getting shit-faced. 

His drunken mind wondered how Ryou was doing back home and if he was still with Yugi and the others playing that game. He was hoping that his precious lover was thinking about him too. And how he wished that he was here with him instead. Or even Rishid, who was his right-hand man in everything he did. There was no doubt that he was relishing in his new found life as a newlywed with his beautiful bride, Aisha. It felt strange not to have him here, the three of them together, with Rishid by the younger man's side. He missed him dearly **...and how much he fucking hated him for not being here with him right now. How dare Rishid think that a worthless peon like himself would consider just leaving him like this. He was nothing more than a worthless groveling worm on the ground. How _dare_ he. How _fucking_ dare he!--**

Malik’s trembling palms slammed against the cool, smooth surface of the booth’s table as it rattled slightly from the impact of the blow from his hands. He stood up in a panic, hearing that wicked deep voice linger within his brain. This was bad. The sound of him the table wobbling had caused Isis and Seto to snap their attention back towards the disturbed young man and separated their hand-holding from on top of the table quickly. His sister’s smile was wiped off her face when noticing that her brother’s pupils had restricted and his body was quivering. 

“Brother,” Her lips parted in deep concern as she slowly stood up and tried to reach out to touch his shoulder.

Her attempt was rejected quickly as Malik nudged her away quite harshly and rushed his way out of the booth.

“ **Don’t!** ” He practically growled at her, trying to keep his composure as he made his exit to the toilets. 

In natural instinct, Isis shot up from her seat as well and tried to catch up with her brother. She was only able to get one foot out before Seto gently took hold of her forearm to stop her. The foreign woman’s eyes widened in utter shock as she tried tugging herself away as he simply just tightened his grip on her.

“Are you mad, Seto! Release me this instance!” She was outraged as another tug was all she needed to escape his weak grasp.

“Chasing him like a wild animal is only going to worsen the situation. What do dogs do when they are cornered?” He asked sternly.

Isis paused at the question when realizing he was right and slowly sat back down.

“Bite,” She answered somberly.

An unsettling silence sunk between the two of them as Seto tried to relax into the cushions of the booth and crossed his leg, not enjoying the sight of his date in such a troubled state of mind. The CEO’s advice had come from his own personal experiences with not only how he had learned about himself but also the shaky circumstances he had dealt with when raising his own younger brother. Not everything between the world-famous Kaiba brothers was all roses. When delving deep between the mismatched couple. They had a common ground. Their devotion to their baby brothers. 

“Hopefully when Mokuba arrives he will calm down. He must feel out of place,” Seto added calmly as he picked up his wineglass from the stem and swirled it around before taking a sip. 

\--

Running water echoed against the walls of the washroom. Some sort of lobby music was playing in the background softly. Malik barely heard it. The manic voice was too strong at this point. He was stupid. He was so fucking stupid. Why hadn’t he listened to Ryou and just stayed home? He should be home with Ryou. How badly he wanted to be home with Ryou right now… **How badly he wanted Ryou on his fucking knees. Vulnerable and pleading for mercy with that pathetic beautiful face yearning for more punishment, drowning in pure ecstasy--**

A rush of pain traveled through his skull as he clanked his forehead against the mirror as an attempt to cease these awful thoughts. Just like the rest of the building the mirror must have been high-quality. Since he didn’t feel it crack when the pressure between the two collided. He avoided looking at his reflection. He was too afraid if he did that a different face would be staring back at him. Before reverting to any more self-harm to stop the taunting. He decided it was best to try to calm himself down instead by dunking his head under the faucet of the sink and let cold freezing water pour down onto him, soaking his whole head. The water felt cool and refreshing. It was a nice shock to the system. 

When Malik sprung his head back up, a few droplets of water fell from the ends of his long hair. He gripped onto the edge of the basin and shook his head furiously to try to dry himself off with eyes shut tight. He lifted his arms slowly and ran his fingers through his gold locks and purposely dug his nails into his skelp to feel a hint of pain. He peeked an eye open before allowing himself to stare at his reflection. He felt pretty woozy but he was able to still recognize his own stupid face. That was good, at least he guessed. 

He wasn’t gone though, Malik knew this because he still felt his presence in the back of his mind. His voice wasn’t overwhelming at the moment but he was lingering. His head was aching from it. After taking a deep breath and an exhale the Egyptian decided that he felt stable enough to head back out to the main area of the lounge. He tried acting as normal as possible. Failing in the process since he was visibly walking in slow motion from his drunken mind trying to match with his motor skills. 

He was caught off guard when bumping into a strange man halfway back to where he believed the booth was. He was a strapping young lad with broad shoulders and tall; jet black hair pulled back into a low ponytail. His physique put whatever training Malik did to shame. The stranger looked oddly familiar and he didn’t know why.

“Hey! You’re Malik right? I’m just about to go see my brother. I’m sure your sister is with him. Can I tag along with you?” He asked with a grin. 

He was charismatic and handsome too. What the hell. Who was this guy? Oh shit, did he say brother? Was this Mokuba Kaiba? Malik squinted as he thought this. When did this kid get so big? He was the same height as him. What the fuck! 

There was a long awkward pause. It was unsure whether or not the older Kaiba tipped his brother off about Malik or not but the younger man didn’t seem phased by how sloshed the foreigner was. Actually, he seemed pretty empathetic towards him, gazing at the other man gently.

“Come on, I’m starving. You look pretty bad, let’s get some food in you. I’ll guarantee you’ll feel better after you eat,” Mokuba kept a chipper tone as he tried to guide Malik back to their siblings. 

At first Malik was compliant as he hobbled beside the younger Kaiba. Enchanted by this kid’s charm. Due to a stupified mind, the Arab had failed to remember that he had seen Mokuba a few times before in the media. It was inescapable not to see the brothers on broadcasts, especially since the younger brother was the PR of the Kaiba Corp. He was the face of their company, and because of that, he was more social and outwardly friendly to the public. Unlike his brooding older brother. Attending college in the states also helped out with that too, as he was very expressive like the few Americans Malik had run into in the past. Mokuba tried easing the tension by starting up a bit of small talk, such as asking Malik which language he preferred conversing in. Japanese or English, it didn’t matter to him either way. By the time the night is out, he’d probably forget how to speak in both languages. The only thing that really stuck out in his deranged brain was that the younger Kaiba had recognized his high-top sneakers to be moto shoes, he knew that they were specialized just for motorcycle riding. That was impressive to Malik. He could get used to this kid. 

It wasn’t until they were close enough from the booth when Malik’s footing was starting to get the better of him as his balance was off-kilter. He began knocking into a table that guests were still seated at when Mokuba suddenly grabbed him by the arm to try to reel him back onto his feet. The Arab’s muscles stiffened at the touch; already feeling agitated was to blame for his actions as he bucked the younger man’s hold right off him. His shove was forceful enough to knock Mokuba off his feet and onto his ass. His mind was clouded that rational decision making was out the window. He was now a bull in a china shop and the younger Kaiba might as well have been wearing a big red target on his chest. To Malik’s dismay, Mokuba showed no fear, just uncertainty, still trying to keep his nice guy routine to calm down the situation. Well, this was no fun. What was the point if your prey wasn’t distraught? 

He must have looked completely crazed by now. Between his hair that had dried slicked back from when he wet it prior and the gleaming chaos in his glaring eyes. He wasn’t able to play around anymore with this sheep as his brother was calling out to him and heading towards the two with that intrusive sister of his right beside the idiotic businessman. There was too much interference; leaving Malik no choice but to flee. He was fast enough to bolt out from the back door without anybody being able to capture him. Though, Seto did get close if it wasn’t for his more good-hearted little brother trying to coax him from being angry he might have caught him. Just the thought of escaping by the skin of teeth made the unhinged Egyptian let out a deep menacing laugh.

Oh no.

That wasn’t him. 

Malik sprinted to the curbside to where he had parked his motorcycle. It took a bit of maneuvering to get on thanks to being completely plastered. He stuck the key in the ignition after missing a couple of times before lodging it into the right place. He revved up before taking off. He was distracted when his hand touched the helmet that was hanging from the handlebars. Why was this even here? He had no use for it. And for some unknown reason, he felt compelled to put it on. Oh yeah, that’s right. He promised Ryou. And with that, he pulled on the helmet and raced off. He didn’t know where. Just away from this place as he stretched his body forward to gain more momentum while driving and revved his engine a few more times before disappearing into the night.

By the time the trio ran outside the sky was sprinkling a bit of rain. Isis was the first to emerge out the door as the two brothers were right behind her. She hurried to the spot where she had first met up with Malik and took a look around, trying to get a grasp of where he could have gone. 

“It’s useless if you’re looking for him. He’s long gone,” Seto slowly approached where she was standing with hands in his pockets.

“Hey, Isis, no offense. But what’s up with your brother anyway?” Mokuba chimed in with a frown, joining the two on the sidewalk with his hands on his hips.

“He is unfortunately unstable tonight,” There was heavy grief heard when she sighed. 

“Just tonight?” Mokuba raised a brow as he couldn’t help but crack a crook grin.

“Enough. Let’s get out of here before one of you catches your death in this rain,” Seto advised them and folded his arms, starting to walk back inside.

“We better hurry, he’s pretty fast despite how drunk he is,” Mokuba interjected as he began following behind the older Kaiba and slowly stopped when Isis spoke once more.

“There is no need to worry. My brother won’t get far. I sense it,” She spoke gently, peering out into the direction of the street where Malik headed to. 

\--

A clash of thunder rumbled through the black sky as the rain was now pouring buckets down. There was not a star in sight. Only the occasional flash of lightning lit up the night making it an overwhelming mysterious dark blue color as it greeted the half-lid eyes of the groggy Arab when he finally awoke on the hard wet asphalt of an empty street. Malik’s body was sprawled between the main lane and an alleyway. He was so disoriented that he had not realized he had lost balance and tumbled off his bike. It was strange because despite his mind being afloat someplace else he felt calm. It was probably the relaxing sound of the passing cars on the nearby street as the low drone humming of their wheels drove through the puddles that had formed. A sheet of rainfall had now saturated his whole body, seeping into his bones, making him feel the coolness of the moisture. The sun visor shield to the helmet was slid open, meaning that his bare face was vulnerable to the elements and allowing the raindrops to start leaking into it. Water ran down his nose and cheeks, dripping down to his neck. He was soaked. His clothes were soaked. His face soaked. His soul was soaked. Perhaps if he laid there long enough; water would start to accumulate inside his helmet and hopefully drown him.

There was no such luck though as his vision started to refocus and become less blurred so did his mind. Causing him to feel relentless and sat up briskly to get a good view of what the hell happened. The ache Malik felt when lifting his body from the ground was a clear reminder that he had fallen. Having poor motor-skills and speeding was not a good combination. He already knew this and evidently didn’t learn his lesson yet. When he staggered himself up back onto his feet the ache got worse. It was an awful raw throbbing on his side and ran down his leg. Shit. It was road rash; hitting the asphalt headfirst must have scraped off a good portion of skin. This pain was familiar to the daredevil. It wasn’t his first time bashing himself up like this and wouldn’t be his last either, he was sure of it.

Once he was standing the pain didn’t even matter when his eyes locked on the image of his motorcycle that was laying on its side and quite a long distance away from where he laid. It was still running with the back wheel turning. It had a few severe dents in it; the biggest one being on the fuel tank and the headlight shattered. The exhaust muffler seemed to be pretty banged up as well. Malik felt his blood pressure rising, he was boiling mad. He didn’t even give one flying fuck about his own wounds. He was unbelievably pissed about how badly damaged his prized possession was. And how he allowed this to happen. He yanked the helmet off and spun around as he chucked the damn thing against the grimy brick wall to the alleyway in anger. He gritted his teeth and let out a haunting growl, trying to contain himself. Not even in the right headspace to be thankful that if it wasn’t for the helmet Ryou insisted on he probably would have his brain matter splattered all over the street. 

The animalistic snarl had twisted into a deep agonizing scream that disguised itself with the roaring thunder that was waning down. Malik’s lungs felt like they were aching with the rest of his body when all of the pent-up fury emitted out of him. He had clenched a handful of his hair from both sides of his head out of frustration and collapsed to his knees after feeling weak from weariness. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to roam the deepest parts of his brain to see if that fool was still lingering around. So far, nothing. That was good. 

He could hear the thunder coming down on him, hands shaking when he released the grip from his skelp and dropped his arms by his side. It was coming down, water just like misery. No longer raindrops this time but tears. The warmth from his sorrow streaming down his cheeks felt nice, comforting almost. The gnawing hurt that radiating throughout his body was stimulating to the senses. He felt human at this moment. It was surreal. 

Soon the blaring glow of headlights from a fancy black limousine crept up from behind the hysterical man. The beaming lights cast a shadow from behind him. He got a glimpse of the outline of his body on the cracked pavement, seeing his silhouette distorting into something monstrous. Malik snapped his head back, trying to avoid the awful thing and stood. When he turned sharply his body bumped into Isis unexpectedly. He felt anger boiling up again as he stared in disbelief. Why in the world was she here! This woman could never mind her own business! It was so infuriating. He backed away, keeping himself guarded by holding his arm up against him in defense. His sister’s face looked saddened at the sight of his raw skin, grief-struck of how far gone her brother had become. She was holding a black umbrella over her head as the droplets of rain continued to tap away.

“Oh my dear Malik,” her tone drenched in despair. 

He hated it when she sounded like that, he found it to be patronizing. How dare she disrespect him. There was no reason for her to be here right now. This was nonsensical. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone!

“Do not provoke me, sister!” He swung his arm out to point towards her with his index finger as he continued to slowly back away from her, trying to get closer towards his motorcycle. 

“You’ve been nothing more than a thorn in my side! And I’m no longer going to tolerate it from you any longer!” He shouted out, coming to a stop in front of his bike and pulled the kickstand back up. 

Isis watched cautiously, making sure not to make any rash movements. Keeping in mind what Seto had said earlier. She was worried sick about Malik and it was so sad to see that he didn’t understand that. She was aware he felt threatened but she didn’t exactly know how to prove her trust. 

“Malik, please. Just try to reason with me. I mean no harm. You are not well.”

She stiffly took a step forward and watched eagerly. Isis honestly didn’t have a clue how she was going to coax her brother out of this terrible situation. She could tell that her words weren’t convincing him at all. If looks could kill then she would be struck down dead by the way her younger brother was glaring down at her. 

“Oh, save it for somebody who cares, Isis! Why don’t you run back to that new boy toy and tell him that!” 

He spat out as he had managed to hoist his chopper back up by squatting down in front of it and grabbed onto the handlebar and side of the saddle, using his sore legs to slowly lift it back onto the wheels. Isis’s cool blue eyes suddenly narrowed at her brother’s sudden jab at trying to hurt her. She had been dealing with her brother’s cutting words for years and nowadays whatever evil poured out of his mouth did not impress her much. 

“Malik, I am being very serious here. You are very drunk and a danger to others and yourself if you get back on that bike,” Her painted lips curled into a disgruntled frowned with her patience wearing thin. 

“You can not stop me, Isis! Shouldn’t an honorable woman like yourself be shacking-up with that handsome millionaire, Seto Kaiba?” 

A chill was sent down the stoic woman’s spine when his voice darkened as he tried his hardest to degrade her. Her brother’s voice only deepened when his altar was surfacing. The reality of what was being said was in fact Malik didn’t have an inkling of an interest in what his older sister did behind closed doors. He was only saying this to be vindictive. To cause harm to his dear sister, and she didn’t even know why.

She watched her brother try to pitifully try to climb back on his motorcycle in awe as she was tired of trying to play this tug of war game with him. Isis closed her eyes to keep the focus on the situation at hand and let out a heavy sigh before sliding her phone out of her jacket pocket. Malik watched on with keen eyes and a crook smirk. 

“There is no point in calling that lover of yours. I have no fear towards him,” Malik snidely told her, leaning against his motorcycle as his movements were still in close motion. 

“I am not calling Seto. I’m contacting the authorities if you’re not going to listen to my warning, Malik.”

She stopped her dialing midway when this insufferable man started laughing uncontrollably. He hunched over from straining his aching side. He stopped laughing as fast as he began and shot back up straight to lower his smug stare over at her.

“I already have a criminal record. Do you think I care that you’ll call the pigs on me!” His mouth twisted into an ugly grin.

This is when she so desperately wished Rishid was here to help her in this madness. He was far better with words when it came to calming Malik down to a more rational train of thought. He would have hauled their difficult brother into the limousine by now. Seeing that being civil with him was not a choice any longer. Isis decided a more aggressive stance as she slipped her phone back into her pocket and closed the umbrella to slowly approached the front of his chopper. When Malik was able to straddle himself in place he looked over at his sister as if she were the crazy one.

“Sister! Get out of the way! I will run you ove--”

“Go ahead,” She cut himself curtly, sick of his inane threats.

“ If you so choose. Perhaps my body will make a proper disadvantage for you and you’ll fall again. Be my guest,” Isis continued to seethe. 

She was fed up with his foolish behavior and having to be the one blamed for the brunt of the messes he was continually making. She simply just wasn’t afraid of him anymore, or his threats. Isis knew in her heart that her brother’s kind nature was buried under all that torment. He revved his engine just to come across as intimidating. It failed. Not even so much of flinch from the older woman as he did that. His eyes were glossed and the whites to them were bloodshot. Her brother had been crying. 

“Are you finished?” She crossed her arms, still holding the umbrella.

Malik’s bogged down mind could not fathom what in the world his sister was planning. He didn’t understand what her motives were. Was it to make him feel guilty? Fat chance. Her bold decision was only thrilling him further as he revved his engine again, still time a bit longer as his bent exhaust pipe left a trail of smoke.

“I said move, sister!” He commanded again, trying to psyche her out as he began to slowly inch towards her.

Admittedly, this was getting her nervous. There was a possible chance that she could have underestimated what her brother is capable of when under the influence and his mind clouded in darkness. Isis very cautiously took a small step back as Malik continued on driving. When he noticed his sister was out of the way enough he sped up and swerved away from her so he didn’t accidentally hit her. He was drunk but still had enough sense not to physically harm her. And she knew that Malik's bark was worse than his bite. Isis was quick on the draw than her measly little brother as she stretched out her arm to hold the folded up umbrella towards Malik as some sort of a jousting stick. She calculated correctly, seeing that her brother’s movements were already wobbly on their own, the impact from the umbrella was going to easily knock him back off the chopper. It also helped that the handle to it was hooked causing it to catch around his neck momentarily when he passed by and toppled back off the bike and rolled onto his back with an overwhelming cry of pain.

Isis waited for the motorcycle to hit the ground again before striding her way over gracefully; picking the umbrella back up and tucked it under her arm to stop directly in front of Malik’s grieving form. His scratched up arm was shielding his face at her as he moaned out in woe. His sister waited for him to notice her first as she peered down at him in judgment. He was in pure shock that she even had the nerve to challenge him. His mouth was agape and lavender eyes practically bulged out of his skull from shock.

“ _You!--_ Y-y-you! You struck me! How could you, sister!”

he was appalled, a tinge of whining was heard at the end of his sentence. Hopefully, she had knocked some sense back into him. It didn’t bother her in the slightest as her eyes dulled from exhaustion. She had lost empathy for her brother halfway through this scuffle. She finally has had it with him for tonight.

“Enough, Malik. Get in the limousine.”

\--

It didn’t stop there, no. It took Isis far longer than she anticipated to drag Malik inside the vehicle. He would not leave his motorcycle’s side, it was to be expected. She knew how much it meant to him. It represented his freedom as a person and the symbol of living among the surface. It wasn’t her place to gripe about such a thing. Her main priority was to get him off the bike so he didn’t cause any more harm. He called a towing company that was associated with the mechanic the Arab worked for. Malik didn’t want anybody touching his prized possession but for himself. A quick phone call to the confused flower boy was made. To inform him to make sure to keep a lookout for his chopper when it arrives at the apartment. Isis had requested the phone put on the speaker. So she could stay in the loop of exactly what was being said. Her tone was soft and composed, trying to give off the impression that everything was fine. The Egyptian woman could tell by the pitch of Ryou's voice that he was riddled with worry. At one point in the call Yugi’s voice could faintly be heard in the background asking if Malik was okay. Ryou made it known that he was suspicious after hearing how badly his partner's angry slurring was from the other end of the line. Isis felt at ease knowing Ryou was as concerned with her brother's wellbeing as she was. He was the only consolation of why she allowed her brother to move out of the country with supervision. He was trustworthy and a positive influence on him, along with Yugi as well. 

It finally stopped raining. And Isis had found out that it wasn’t the most practical idea to wear white during a downpour. She was sopping wet and the thin fabric to her dress had turned sheer thanks to the moisture. Her jacket provided some modesty and prevented exposing all of her undergarments. It was just Malik, after all, it was guaranteed that he wouldn't pay any mind to his sister's indecent exposure since his attention was elsewhere. Seto had made the wise choice of letting Isis follow the manic young man on her own. Having the Kaiba brothers here would have only thrown fuel to the fire that was already running rampant. And she was more than certain that Seto would now be weary with Mokuba around her brother because of the incident back at the lounge and his attempt at squaring up with the younger man. 

When the two finally got into the back of the limousine Isis apologized to the chauffeur that had been sitting there the whole time and was watching the havoc from afar. The door slammed shut as the siblings sat across from one another. Isis on the right, leg crossed and tucked herself in the corner in close proximity to the window so she was able to gaze out at the night sky. Malik was on the left and laying into the lavish seats with his back turned to his sister, avoiding the side of his body he sliced up on the road. He felt extremely uncomfortable from his wet clothes sticking to the leather material of the cushioning. He had also decided to take off his vest, it had torn from being grided against the pavement. And lost a pin or two in the impact, one of them being the grim reaper one Ryou had given him. Which was a tedious effort trying to look for such a small thing on a wide road. He gave up quickly when he sensed his sister’s annoyance with him when he was crawling on his hands and knees looking for the little chunk of metal. Malik had curled up into a ball, squeezing his arms against his chest and closed his eyes. He wondered if Yugi’s mother would be kind enough to stitch his vest up for him if he asked nicely. 

The enchanting sight of the moon was always a calming sight for Isis to see, even from childhood she had fond memories of gazing upon such a marvelous object in the sky through the wall that was the only window to the real world; just to escape the sufferable actions of living in the darkness. It was a reminder that even at the worst days of the family’s life there was hope. The sky's the limit, literally. Even now, after all these years of living a normal life on the surface, the moon was still just as amazing to her. The car ride was slow and steady as Isis eventually panned her eyes back onto her baby brother’s defeated looking body. It seemed as if the gentle rocking from the bumpy roads had lulled him into a light sleep. 

Her expression was bleak, focusing on how innocent Malik looked in his sleeping form compared to how he was just acting a few minutes ago. He was unreadable to her at times, just as if she felt like she understood her brother enough to help him. It's like he purposely flipped it around and rewrote the script to what she believed to be true. All the time she had got the chance to speak to her brother about his living situations. He made it seem like everything was just perfect and that he was living the dream. Perhaps it was all a lie to catch her off guard.

“Maybe…” She trailed off before even spitting it out.

“We should consider you coming back home to Cairo for a while. I feel like it’ll be best for your mental health,” She continued, unsure how awake he was but didn’t question it too much, her brother was always a light sleeper.

Malik’s bloodshot eyes shot up with the irises the size of pinpoints as the rage inside him was enough to swing his body back upright in a sitting position, despite the immense pain he felt from the self-inflicted road rash. 

“ _What!_ ” He was Godsmack. Absolutely appalled that his sister would ever even ponder a thought such as that. 

Isis couldn’t help but cast her eyes down to the floor, her brother’s eyes were quite frightening when he was in this state of mind. She began to absentmindedly tinker with the gold bangle that hung off her wrist. 

“Not forever. Just for a few weeks, maybe a month? We’ll see how it goes. You know Rishid will be over the moon to have you home again. It’ll be a nice visit too since Aisha is expecting.”

Malik just stared at her in pure disdain. The lingering feeling of regret of not hitting with his motorcycle was sunk in his brain and disturbed him to no end. He felt trapped like this was all a ruse to capture him and send him back to that wretched place. Was this what his awful sister was planning all along? Trying to strip the freedom he worked so hard for away? Curse this terrible woman! He wished he never came out tonight.

Not having an inkling that her brother was thinking such sinister things, Isis was still trying to explain her thoughts clearly, in a desperate attempt to convince her brother. Only trying to save Malik from himself.

“Ryou is of course welcome to come with you. He could work on the archaeological digs while you’re there, he seemed to really enjoy them the last time you two visited.”

A faint smile grew on her, reminiscing about the last time they were all together as a family again and how wonderful it went. Isis was hoping that that family structure would help keep Malik on the straight and narrow. All that daydreaming came to a sudden stop when the backseat of the limonene started to violently shake from the crazed Egyptian trying to kick open the locked door of the vehicle with both hands grabbing so hard to the handle that his knuckles turned white.

“Never!” he howled out, giving the door another kick, this time a lot harder.

Isis froze in place with the color in her face flushing from shock. She wasn’t expecting a positive response but she thought he had cooled down enough to be coherent enough to understand her side of the argument. She was obviously mistaken.

“Malik! Please! I’m only trying to help you!”

“I’d rather _die_ then go back to Egypt!”

Her pleading was to avail. Her brother was far too gone tonight. He looked like a caged animal trying to escape from its bars. Isis quickly turned her body to catch the attention of the chauffeur to have him pull the limonene over. He hit the breaks and caused both their bodies to spring forward. For some reason the clicking sound of the doors unlocking was heard; the driver probably sensed what the problem was as Malik had successfully swung open and jumped out of the vehicle and rolled out onto the street. He already scraped his skin off from earlier, he didn’t have much to lose now since his freedom was in jeopardy. 

Isis’s tall figure stepped out from the backseat seconds later with her gold heels leading the way over to her brother’s now collapsed body. He didn’t get too far this time, seeing that they were only a few blocks away from his apartment and the limonene had parked just in time to avoid any serious damage. The downside to this was because of all the mayhem that Malik caused tonight he must have used up all his resources. He was blackout cold on the pavement when his sister finally got close enough to his lying body on the side of the street. She checked his pulse to make sure that nothing critical was wrong before making any other decisions. He was alive, just fainted from exhaustion. Another phone call was made to Ryou to fill him in on the going-ons of the evening and how she may need his and Yugi’s help with lugging her brother’s body into their apartment. 

\--

When Malik awoke his vision was fuzzy and felt a heavy warmth weighing down on his chest and on his achy legs. He blinked, squinting to focus on his surroundings and realized he was in Ryou’s dimly lit bedroom. The wall tapestry with the weirdly whimsical depiction of the portrait The Garden of Earthly Delights was a dead give away. He turned his head and was greeted with the almost angelic face of his sleeping lover, his head rested on the other’s chest and an arm laying over his belly. A sense of relief washed over Malik when he realized he was home and in bed with the one he loved most. With the further discovery, by looking down Yugi was also present. But had fallen asleep on the foot of the bed with a set of Duel Monster cards spread out sloppily on the throw blanket draped there just for decoration. The Arab was much too sore to lift himself up from the bed and Ryou laying over him didn’t make it any easier either. His jostling under the covers stirred the gentle rebel from his slumber as he slowly awoke and stared up at his friend with a weakened smile.

“Hey Ryou, Malik is up,” His tone was gentle and sweet as he sat up from bed, some of the Duel Monster cards slipped off the blanket from his movement and onto the floor.

Ryou awakened with a couple of nudges from Yugi when he leaned over to alert him. Malik was too knackered to properly address himself as he just laid there limply like a dead fish. His eyes lightened up when his partner opened his and stared over at him puzzled. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair to smooth down the bed head he had. 

“Sorry,” Ryou apologized softly, seeing that Malik winched as he lifted himself up and off of him.

“We were really worried about you Malik, are you alright?” Yugi asked, slipping off the foot of the bed and stood.

Malik slowly blinked as he tried recalling what happened earlier that night, he didn’t remember much at all. He steadily started sitting up in bed, trying not to aggravate his road rash. When he took a down, he was shirtless and bandaged up. This caused the Egyptian to look back up in surprise as he started to get concerned that he had no idea what went on.

“You banged yourself pretty badly. Isis and I decided to clean your wounds before they got infected,” Ryou explained in a hushed tone as he tried to fill in the blanks for him.

“Yeah, your sister is pretty good with medical stuff. I never knew,” Yugi added, pleasantly. 

The mention of his sister’s name overwhelmed him with anxiety. He could hear the thumping of his beating heart from his ears and shot his head up when the gentle rebel excused him to go fetch Isis; knowing that she’d feel more comfortable knowing that her brother was alive and well. He was starting to regain some of the events that had happened tonight and was starting to sweat bullets. He didn’t escape her clutches and had weaseled her way into his domain. This was bad, this was really bad. When he saw Ryou getting up from the bed he hastily grabbed onto the loose fabric of his baggy t-shirt and yanked him forward.

“Ryou! Whatever you do, _do not_ agree to anything Isis says! Do you understand me?”

He sounded manic and his eyes terrifying as they normally were when Malik was not completely in touch with reality. The sad part of it was that the peculiar man was far too used to his episodes of delusion by now. He stared down at him impassively, taking hold of his lover’s hand and managed to untangle his fingers from his shirt.

“Got it,” He told him, sounding the least bit interested. 

He had no reason to listen to what Isis had to say, she and he had already talked and Ryou tried his hardest to reason with her about what she thought was best. Ryou knew all too well that his partner had no desire to go back to Cairo. Especially under the circumstances that his sister wanted. There was no reason for him to tell his insufferable man this now, he was too inside his head. Ryou was hoping by tomorrow that Malik could come back to his senses and lose his frantic mindset on the whole ordeal. He turned his head once he felt a presence enter the room. It was the beauty herself, Isis standing in the opening of the door and stripped out of that damp dress and wearing the old clothing of her brother’s. A well-worn band t-shirt and plaid pajama pants that had been tied a couple of times tightly around her waist so they didn’t fall off her slender body. The alarm clock on the nightstand showed the time in red numbers, it was half-past three in the morning. Isis must have decided to stay the night.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Ryou insisted as he gave Malik a curious look and then quickly turned his attention at Isis with a similar stare before slipping past her out of the room.

The stoic woman directed a warm smile towards the flower boy and placed a hand on his shoulder as he passed by her.

"Thank you.”

Was barely heard when she spoke. Ryou stepped past the threshold and bowed to Isis out of appreciation. He didn’t even know why Isis felt the need to show gratitude towards him. He should be thanking her for all the kindness she always shows him, along with the patience. 

“You’re welcome,” He replied before disappearing away from the room. 

It felt like a piece of lead had sunk to the bottom of his stomach when he saw such a friendly exchange between the two of them. They were surely in cahoots with each other and this was not going to play out well for Malik. He froze in place when his sister slowly made her way to the bed. He grasped onto the sheets tightly, glaring down at her.

“May I sit down and talk with you?” She stood at the foot of the bed with her hands politely placed in front of her. 

“Oh, you’re giving me an option, you mean?” He sneered out and leaned back onto his palms.

Isis should consider herself lucky. If her brother had enough energy he would have fled from bed already. A saddened smile grew on her lips as she sat on the edge of the bed with her leg crossed and folded her hands into her lap. Malik found it rather strange to see his sister wearing his grubby clothing but still hold such a courteous posture. 

“Perhaps, I should apologize. I was rather rash when suggesting coming home. But, can I ask you a question?” She tilted her head with the ends of her long hair falling past her shoulders.

His brows flustered together, eyes never leaving Isis’s image as he tried to figure out her motives. It didn’t seem like another trick. Malik shifted slightly under the covers uncomfortably as he went into deep thought.

“Yes?”

“What made you feel so unsafe that caused you to have a meltdown? It hurts me to think that you’d think I’d force you to attend an event if you didn’t want to. You’re never obligated if you wish not to,” Her tone was stern, trying to prove a point.

He lowered his eyes, staring at the soft blue bed sheets with white stars printed on it as he tried to resort to all the feelings and horrible thoughts that he had been consumed by all night. Granted, a lot of what was said and done was all a blur to him currently and he was too cowardly to ask his sister what had happened because he was aware that he would only be met with guilt right after. He only barely remembered that he fell off his chopper. His whole side being sliced up along with part of his arm was a blaring reminder of how foolish he was. Isis could tell by the harsh look on her brother’s face that he was taking an honest and serious thought about what she had asked. It was endearing in a strange way that no matter how old Malik got his mannerisms never changed. Seeing him laid up in bed like this and giving her the stink-eye for a good moment only reminded her of those times back in tombs where he’d constantly sulk when not getting his way. He’d be her baby brother always and because of that she’d always be there to protect him, no matter what happens. 

“I...I’m just never going to be normal like you, Isis,” He reluctantly spoke as he gripped back onto the fabric of the sheets, feeling frustrated with himself.

“I’m never going to be a part of society like everybody else. And I don’t want to pretend to be either.”

He admitted, there was a part of him that ached from the inside when he said this. It’s not like he didn’t want to be normal. It’s just didn’t think he could be. Their gazes finally met again with Isis looking at her brother’s troubled face quite tenderly. It was flattering for him to think that she was as put together as she wanted the public to see her as. She thought there was no fooling Malik, it looks like she was wrong.

“I don’t expect you to be _‘normal’_ Malik, I just wish for you to be happy. I too am not perfect. I know it may seem that way, but I’m far from it. Our upbringing wasn’t the best. And there’s a possibility that the nightmares from the past may follow us forever. We never asked for this rainfall. But we must live with the cards that the universe dealt us. I too would rather be dry. But we are alive regardless, aren’t we?” 

His lips pressed tightly together as if he wanted to say something in response to his sister’s words. But he wasn’t diligent with speaking like Isis was. She wasn’t wrong with what she expressed. Malik wasn’t the only one who suffered a terrible life down in the tombs. He may have been the chosen heir but it didn’t make life for anybody involved easier either. His sister just happened to be more humble about their circumstances and it was obvious at times he was too selfish to remember that. It only made him feel even more uneasy than he already did as he shifted yet again under the covers again. He ran a hand up the bandages wrapped around his arm.

“Thank you for cleaning my wounds,” Malik averted his stare away from her, he didn’t deserve her tenderness.

“You’re more than welcome. I used the same technique from when we used to disinfect your back,” She explained quietly. 

Malik nodded as she spoke, he figured that much. 

“Sister, can I ask you something now?”

“Yes, of course. Anything, Malik.”

“Please do not tell Rishid what happened tonight.”

Isis’s deep blue eyes glistened in sorrow as she nodded. The true version of Malik was back, he knew as well as anybody that if Rishid knew about the mayhem that happened unfolded that he’d be disheartened and want to take the plane over to Japan to take care of their little brother. 

“Understood,” She forced a smile. 

Sensing his sister’s distress Malik leaned over with open arms, ignoring the pain that came with moving too much and pulled Isis into a secure hug. He buried his face into the crook of her neck to drag her closer.

“I’d never let you drown either, sister,” His voice muffled into her hair.

Isis was struck with grief at his words, feeling her eyes swell up with tears as she held him close enough, not to harm his injuries. 

“Thank you, Malik.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t expect this chapter to be so long, but here it is!~ I also want to admit that the main vibe of this plot came from a collection of Lady Gaga songs from her new album because God knows I’m a chump for emotionally driven stuff. I outwardly quote some lyrics from the songs. I also associate Malik with Lady Gaga a bit because of LittleKurioh mainly. (You could not escape that Bad Romance animation back in 2009! Ugh!) But I can also see him liking her for the weird eccentric style she has. The Born This Way Album has a motorcycle on it! Tell me I’m wrong! (I still connect So Happy I Could Die as a thiefshipping song >>;)
> 
> I like the headcanon of Malik having poor eyesight because of living in darkness for most of his life and how he’s supposed to wear glasses but doesn’t. 
> 
> I’m not a crazy trustshipper but I really like how Seto felt connected with Isis when she was willing to sacrifice herself to save Malik. Because he’d do the same for Mokuba. My headcanon for them is that they date but nothing too serious happens and they remain really good friends and confidants to each other after breaking it off. 
> 
> Because these characters are aged up I figured Malik was like 23 which would make Isis 27, Seto 25 and Mokuba 20. 
> 
> Take a shot for every time Ishtar gets hit by an umbrella or I compare despair to the rain.


	7. Shameful Pride

It was a Friday night and the apartment that was inhabited by the strange roommates was quite lively. There was music playing from the stereo system attached to the television as all three men were mulling around the common area together with the expectation of Anzu joining them this evening. She was Yugi’s long term girlfriend. And was visiting the former King of Games on holiday as she had been living abroad in America to pursue her dancing career. Which she seemed to be doing quite well since that’s all she talked about while being invited into the shared space. Malik was making it plain that her gleeful personality was irking his last nerve. It was obvious that the Arab didn’t have a good rapport with the love of Yugi’s life. Everybody remembered battle city, after all. Though, the bitter feelings were one-sided as Anzu didn’t have an inkling of bad blood towards Malik at all. He’d never admit it but his opinion on her was fueled by his bad deeds from his teenage years when he used the poor girl for his pawn in the sick and twisted game he was playing as the gang leader of his Ghouls. 

The Egyptian’s unnerved temperament was easily overlooked seeing that everybody was enjoying their time as they were all getting ready for a night on the town. The group was heading to Ni-chome. It was part of the shady Shinjuku District that was known for its wild party atmosphere and populated by the LGBTQ community. It was also a high crime area because of the centers for sex work that included massage houses, host clubs, and plenty of cruising boxes. It was easy to tell that Malik was well versed in this lifestyle but surprisingly so was Anzu; the only association she had was because of her passion for dancing and how she absolutely loved clubs. The Arab wandered off towards the bathroom to do his typical personal grooming. Alone. Away from the annoying giggling chatter that was going on between Anzu and his precious Ryou as the white-haired man painted the young woman’s nails a peachy pink color. 

They sat right in front of the couch and criss-cross on the tatami flooring as calmness soaked in between them. It was a peaceful aura that typically came with conversing with the flower boy. The trendy Japanese girl was quite familiar with Ryou since she took the time to know the former shy boy from their high school years. When he spoke in that smooth soothing voice it was obvious from her facial expression that she was listening intently. Anzu had the unofficial role of the mother friend of the group. Despite her extremely flashy attire, her personality was still just as sweet from how the quiet nerd remembered her by. She even dressed the same way from their teen years. Her slim, taunt figure was clothed in a pink denim mini-skirt, a crop-top with a sweetheart neckline and straps. A transparent vinyl jacket with a hood and cutely pastel-colored stars stitched onto the sleeves and the rest of the garment. Anzu was not an influencer but she liked to pretend she was. 

The young woman followed the current trends that were very 90s driven which she loved since that was their era of fashion. She was absolutely living for the much awaited comeback of the platform sneakers and thigh-high socks that she was currently wearing. What finished the outfit was a rather large barrette clipped in her long brunette hair. It was one of those diamond lettering ones. Ryou was familiar with them. All kinds of girls around the city were all wearing them. He had spotted a few in a bin the last time he was shopping at the 100 Yen shop. Normally they’d say some silly English words that were popular at the time being. But Anzu’s clip was significant to her as it spelled out _apricot_ , her name. Which Ryou could find the charm in. Even if he didn’t understand all that current social media hype all the time. After he was finished with her nails they swapped positions and the cheery Japanese girl began painting his; in the color black. The same bottle of nail polish he had just painted Yugi’s nails with. Malik also liked to get his nails painted but he preferred dark purple. His favorite color.

It was a coincidence that all three roommates shared a similar fashion sense. Well, excluding Ryou at times considering that the macabre geek liked more soft colors and patterns. But there was the occasion he’d splurge and would wear something more dreary from time to time. Such as now. The flower boy liked to perceive himself as a confident man. But at times he was self-conscious of his slim physique. Preferring the more boxy style clothing than the slim nowadays. Layers were all the rage too. Which also helped hide his slender frame. Plain blue jeans and a baggy t-shirt of a metal band he and Yugi enjoyed listening to together; tucked in with a belt and an oversized plaid button-up shirt in a forest green shade being the solid color and black with gray lining throughout. 

The gentle rebel had been present this whole time but was quietly trying to articulate how he wanted to rearrange his outfit for tonight. It was such a simple outfit as well. Jeans with perfectly ripped slits at both knees and a thin mock turtleneck sweater. It was all black, the whole outfit. Even the harness that the eccentric young man decided to wear over his torso. Just to accentuate his muscular features that were already being complimented by his tight top. The harness was straight from a fetish shop. He had owned it for a while now, recalling that he bought such a thing during one of the last times he and the gang went galavanting through the Shinjuku District. Yugi was no stranger to wearing bondage accessories as streetwear. Even Ryou had poked fun at how at the time during high school he remembered his bashful friend hiding his strange latex shirt with all its many buckles and straps underneath their uniform. 

After spending too much time trying to secure the harness himself. Yugi had taken the incentive to ask his love for some help with his accessory as he looked down at the straps in his hands with flustered brows and a peculiar pout on his face. Without fuss Anzu tightened the cap of the nail polish and got up from the floor, strutting her way over. There was a bit more fumbling from the edgy fashion statement until Ryou unexpectedly appeared behind the shorter stature of his friend and began tightening the back of the harness by the silver rings attached. It took Anzu by surprise at first but Yugi wasn’t phased in the slightest. The two were close friends and the former King of Games knew that the flower boy had some questionable fascinations. Though, this knowledge can be thanked by his much deviant partner Malik, who just happened to be much more discreet about his interests than his roommates. 

“Done,” Ryou took a step back as Yugi started turning towards him and his sweetheart.

“Oh, wow Yugi! You look so cool!” Anzu complimented with a gleaming smile.

The response towards his charming girlfriend was an uncertain smile gracing his face. As Yugi rubbed the back of his neck, running his hand upwards to make sure his freshly spiked hair stayed up.

“You really think so? Thanks, Anzu!”

Yugi blushed slightly, even after all these years he still held some modesty. Though the gentle rebel was the most outgoing out of the three roommates he was the most self-conscious when going out to Ni-chome. Malik had become pretty open about his sexuality after splitting from the living situation he had with his siblings. Celebrating gay culture was his scene in full throttle. Ryou was also comfortable with his sexuality since he felt that way since childhood. But was always quiet about it, since it was his nature. Yugi on the other hand was extremely nervous and had always questioned his sexuality. He liked girls for sure, there was no doubt about that. Anzu had been his crush since freshman year of high school. And he had swapped plenty of x-rated videos with Jounouchi and the others back in the day to easily figure out that the alluring shape of the female body was something his raging hormones really liked. Though, there have been odd times where he had questioned if it was just women he liked. 

It all started after the former King of Games had a few beers in him when he confessed to his roommates that perhaps he found other men attractive sometimes too. There was even an embarrassing insist where the flower boy and Yugi kissed during one of their drunken nights at home. Malik was surprisingly supportive of this; perhaps it was because he was also plastered and it was no secret that he was a horny fool when he was in a drunken stupor. The two didn’t just kiss once during that incident. They kissed a few times. Light pecks that could have led to something much more passionate until it was suddenly broken when the pair of friends came to their senses and stopped their interaction. After it happened it was never spoken of again. It was never mentioned to Anzu and none of the friends ever touched it. Yugi even questioned whether or not Ryou even remembered; they were drunk after all. Malik most likely didn’t. He had a sharp tongue when angered. There’d be no doubt that he would have used that against his partner during one of their nonsensical arguments. 

Seeing that Yugi and his sweetheart were getting caught up in their own conversion Ryou had quickly faded into the background. It was nobody’s fault for this. It’s just something he was far too used to. It was part of his character now, he supposed. It didn’t even bother him at all. The peculiar young man had found the comfort of not being noticed. In fact, it worked in his favor as he could slink himself away from the inane chatter before his friend called for him.

“Hey Ryou, before you go. I wanted to give you something,” Yugi said with a smile as he slipped his hand into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a tiny little object.

The flower boy slowed his pace and suddenly stopped to turn his attention back to the other man. Ryou blinked at the offer; Yugi was holding up an earring to him. It was silver and dangling with a little cross pendant attached to it. He raised a brow at this and returned the smile as he realized that the gentle rebel was wearing the matching one from the set. Unbeknownst to a lot of people. Except for the very few friends he had; knew that the modest looking Ryou actually had one of his ears pierced. It was inescapable when his partner was constantly getting a new piercing every other day. Even their eccentric punky roommate tagged along once just to get his own ears re-pierced after the original holes closed up from highschool. In all honesty, the flower boy sometimes forgot he had a pierced ear since it wasn’t really allowed in his place of work.

“I think it'd look cool with your outfit,” Yugi told him as he flopped his arm down to his side as Ryou took it from him gently. 

“Thank you. I’ll go put it on now,” Ryou kept his sincere smile before giving a slight bow as a thank you before heading into the bathroom where Malik was still preoccupying. 

The Egyptian was hunched over in his typical position over the sink when he was getting ready. An eyeliner in hand; this time around a pencil. Switching off from his favored kohl. It was white eyeliner and was actually borrowed from Anzu. The girl he didn't seem to care for. Ryou suspected it was probably a peace offering from her end. Trying to warm up to the moody foreigner. When his partner's more slender frame appeared next to him is when Malik straightened his posture and turned his head to get a glimpse of him. The more delicate man didn’t pay him any mind at first, seeing that Ryou was too focused on pulling his hair back and began braiding in order to secure the dangling little cross earring properly. He kept those deep brown eyes at his own reflection in the mirror as he was easily distracted by Malik who was gazing at him tenderly.

“What?” Ryou’s tone was inquisitive with a raised brow.

The Arab stayed silent, continuing to study his partner’s face tenderly as he set the liner down on the sink and reached over to cup his face. The flower boy stayed still, finishing the braid and pushed it behind his shoulder. Malik leaned in close and brushed his lips against the other man’s pale cheek.

“You look gorgeous,” He mused, giving a gentle kiss before Ryou slowly slipped out of his grasp with a wide grin on his face.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” He said in amusement as he picked up the earring and turned his head sideways to clip it on.

The peculiar man was referring to his lover’s flashy fashion sense, and Malik didn’t disappoint at all in that department. His outfit of choice for tonight was a black leather set; which consisted of the tightest pair of trousers one could imagine ever fitting into and a matching jacket of course. This leather jacket was much different from his favorite racer one, the feisty Egyptian preferred wearing on a daily basis. The style of this jacket was the standard kind. With the large winged collar and silver studs, a belt attached to it on the bottom of it. It was also short as the hem stopped right where the waistline barely touched the edge of the belt loops to his pants. Which were low-cut, to begin with. It wasn’t an outfit that showed a lot of midriff but a good view of the foreign man’s sculpted stomach was to be seen when the shortcut of leather would rise up with a simple movement of his body like when Malik would lift his arm up slightly. It wasn't the only leather outfit he owned as he was quite fond of racy articles of clothing. The Arab also had a one-piece racer jumpsuit as well. Striped in his favorite colors; purple and gold. Though, he had made it known once before that the outfit he was currently wearing was one of his all-time favorites. It was a garment of clothing that was custom made to his measurements, there was no other set like this one. It was special and was a luxury splurged on when the Ghouls were in full effect. Where the former tomb keeper had the riches to waste on such frivolous items. 

He always wore this outfit with the tackiest pair of snake boots Ryou had ever seen. They were more of an ankle boot rather than a genuine cowboy boot as one would think. When comments were made about the shoes Malik would simply brag about how he was wearing the skin of his enemy. Ryou was the only one at the time to know what he was referring to. When he was a child growing up underground the Arab was subject to the harsh conditions that included its colorful array of snakes and other venomous creatures. Malik had gotten bitten once and never forgot the pain. Not only just the physical torment of the bite but the immense guilt that came with his dear brother Rishid getting beaten for his baby brother’s foolishness. 

“No,” He answered calmly, lavender eyes never leaving his beloved’s face.

“You have true natural beauty. Outwardly and within. I do not.”

Ryou stayed stiff in surprise when he got that as a response. He felt the little cross to the earring sway very slightly from tilting his head in curiosity. He stared back at his questionable partner. Getting a chance to really take notice of how well he shaped his eyes with the white liner. It looked beautiful on his deep complexion. Malik didn’t choose to do the standard ethic design he had mastered since teenagehood. He just decided to draw a fairly straight line underneath his eyes with a hint of a wing at the corner. The flower boy could understand why Malik decided to take Anzu’s offer up. The color suited him and was trending since he had seen a lot of idols sporting the same kind of eye makeup, even in American apparel. 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” He said simply with a coy smile, not really knowing how to respond.

He observed Malik turn away from him for a moment to pick up the tiny gold flask that held his kohl and proceeded to unscrew the top. Ryou leaned back when the other man came closer with his arm raised up and holding the brush towards the more delicate partner’s face.

“What are you doing?” 

He flinched out of instinct when the Egyptian placed the tip of the brush to his eyelid. Their faces were so close, Ryou could feel Malik’s warm breath against his skin gently as he started to apply some of the kohl. It was almost comforting to experience such closeness. 

“We are going out. Let me dress your eyes,” Malik told him as he continued his crafty handwork.

Ryou didn’t bother answering. His sign of approval was relaxing his posture and closing his eyes. He let out a silent sigh as an extra precaution to help loosen up. He felt the soft poked from the brush against his eyelid as Malik carefully drew a clean line with a short wing and then began to smudge it in order to make it look smokey. There was no need for a dramatic look for the pretty-faced man. His eyes were large enough to where they didn’t need any more emphasis. The Arab always admired his lover’s eyes; they were big but held that unique almond shape and how the corner of his eyes had a droop to them. He blended the liner in enough to where the wing wasn’t ruined so the make up some sort of style. Once Malik was done he took a step back which lead Ryou to reopen his eyes when he felt the closeness of his partner further away from him. He blinked at first, getting greeted by the Egyptian playful smirk. He turned to look at himself in the mirror and didn’t recognize himself. It wasn’t the first time he allowed the other man to outline his eyes but added with the earring it took him by surprise. 

“I feel strange like this,” He sounded unsure as he touched his face.

“And you look like a knockout,” Malik tried to reassure him, setting the kohl down on the sink.

Malik’s compliments always filled the more delicate partner with warmth because he knew when he said such things that he meant it. The Arab was able to be quite the brute but he did have a heart. And he wasn’t always purposely hurtful. Before Ryou could respond Anzu’s glimmery face popped up through the threshold.

“Come on guys! We’re going to miss our train!” She explained.

Yugi could be seen in the background right over her shoulder. When the macabre young man made eye-contact with his roommate he was greeted with a forced wide cheeky grin. Malik was quick on the draw first; stepping past Ryou and gently pushed against the Japanese girl as he walked out of the bathroom. He slipped the eyeliner pencil to Anzu discreetly into her hand as they brushed shoulders. Her platform shoes made her almost the same height as Malik who was quite tall. She gripped onto the pencil tightly and shot the foreigner and strangest stare before looking back at Ryou for confirmation of the exchange. And a lazy shrug is what she got in return.

\--

The train ride was a quick one seeing that the Shinjuku District wasn’t too far away from their apartment in the Domino area of town. In fact, on more than one occasion the roommates have walked the distance to Ni-chome. But those were the days when they were low on cash and the walk of course took much longer to get to their destination. Malik was in quite a pleasant mood during the ride there; being generous enough to spare the passive-aggressive comments of how much he hated the tight crowds in the car. He enjoyed nightlife more than any of his friends. It was an element that sometimes led to his downfall. He passed the time by taking advantage of the closeness he could have with his precious partner as he wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and comfortably slumped against his back. Yugi took the incentive as well, following Malik’s motives but didn’t dare to be as bold. He opted for a more polite approach and held Anzu’s hand and rested his chin onto her shoulder. Allowing his eyes to shut as he was still exhausted from spending a long night on his laptop for work on Kaiba Corp projects. 

When the group left the train station they melded into the crowd fairly easily. It was only a short distance to the entrance of the Shinjuku District. They had to walk through the seemingly normal part of downtown and had to make it through an ocean of different kinds of pedestrians on the way there. Which included Business people just getting off of work. Yugi would have been one of them if he didn’t have off tonight. And high school age kids still in their uniforms this time of night. A lot of the crowd carried paper shopping bags since it was a popular area with fashion outlets and convenience stores. The foursome stayed close-knit together, out of instinct so none of them lost track of each other. Everywhere you looked there were folks bundled up in jackets and coats since it was the middle of autumn going into early winter soon. It was making Ryou regret not wearing a heavier overcoat as he huddled closer to Malik as they walked onward. Yugi and Anzu kept warm by holding hands and walking a bit in front of the other couple as the Japanese girl made comments about how the setup of downtown changed so much while she was gone. They even got stopped a couple of times just for a minute by some colleagues that worked in the same department as the gentle rebel. Malik was able to stay at bay with this, managing not to get too fussy as he did enjoy being downtown. Even after living here for so long everything still fascinated him. He could look at the city lights for hours. While standing there patiently it struck Ryou that Yugi and Anzu were so normal and it made him admire how easy it was for them to just meet up with others like this and chat. Both Ryou and Malik still had difficulties doing such things. And perhaps they always will. 

The teenagers were the loudest ones among the public; calling to their friends by yelling across the street and laughing joyously. Anzu smiled as she recalled that not too long ago that was also them. Finding entertainment out of retelling a story of Jounouchi and Honda getting into some trouble during one summer where the rowdy blond snagged a job as one of the boys holding up signs for some DVD rental place. And getting into a brawl with a drunk customer at the door. It wasn't humorous at all while it was happening but was funny to look back on now. It got a chuckle out of Yugi and even Ryou who wasn’t even there for the awkward encounter since his body was preoccupied by unruly forces during that time. The Arab absolutely had no interest in the reminiscing seeing that he was too busy staring down some scrawny kid that was trying to hand him a flyer to some shop he could care less about. 

The group of friend’s small talk disappeared within the mass of different conversions and the sound of a hundred footsteps against the cold asphalt streets. It was easy to tell when they became closer to their destination when the advertisements on the buildings became much more loud and vibrant in their coloring. Everything was much more neon and decorative in its appearance. Much like the people that were associated with this kind of lifestyle. More of the younger demographic were prowling around. Mostly college kids and quite a few foreigners. Beautiful women dressed in chic designer clothing. They were suspected of being host girls since there was a club for them around every corner. They were hard to miss. Popular American music played as they walked past the shops. One song happened to be a newly released pop song from Korea since Anzu sang all the lyrics while she twirling around and mimicking a few dance moves that went with it. Apparently Ryou knew what song this was too and quickly hopped in front of her and started mirroring the hand gestures that went along with the dance. It wasn’t until the Japanese girl pulled out her phone to record the moment when Malik expressed his disgust.

“Can we stop wasting time!” He growled out, gritting his teeth.

Yugi was beside his slightly taller foreign friend with his hands tucked in the pockets of his leather jacket with a gentle smile. He took a more tame approach and slipped his hand out to intertwine fingers with Anzu and pulled her along gently. It seemed to work as she started strolling away with her sweetheart, no questions asked. Anzu’s grin never left her face as she looked away from her phone, a cute diamond dust plug charm hung from it. She turned her head to look over at the flower boy.

"I'm uploading it now!" She called out to him while waving her phone up in the air. 

Ryou flashed her a charming smile and gave a thumbs up in response. The other couple had found themselves back behind Anzu and Yugi. Letting them lead the way into the more quaint area that was Ni-chome. Which didn’t bother the odd couple much seeing that they were being left alone. The more delicate partner felt easy-going enough to link arms with Malik this time around without him having to initiate the encounter first. It caught the feisty Arab off guard at first; snapping his head to the side to be greeted with Ryou’s warm smile of reassurance. It only caused Malik to unknowingly return with the same sincerity but with a kiss on the top of the head as he felt confident enough to stretch his arm over and placed a hand onto the other man’s shoulder to pull him closer towards him. At one point Malik hurried up by a few steps and also placed a hand onto Yugi’s shoulder from behind. So they were all connected while walking. 

That was the atmosphere that came with walking the streets of Ni-chome. There were no worries about how the public would view somebody for their sexual preference. It was an exclusive area just for them. The buildings had become smaller; looking more domestic than at the beginning of the Shinjuku District. It still held bright neon lights and loud music playing from nearby shops. It was made obvious that this chunk of the city was for the LGBTQ community seeing that the pride flags were hung outside every other door and that there were plenty of advertisements for gay men. Such as the fetish shops and a small host club with their catalog sign propped out in front of handsome shirtless suitors. It was also a catch-all for food vendors. Which was the perfect spot for them since this place felt a lot like a block party. The public was much more friendly here. Anzu had made a comment about how much it reminded her of the party scene in America. Which would explain why so many foreigners gathered around these parts. It was rather humorous seeing how most people would assume Malik was one of them because of his exotic appearance. They’d walk up to him speaking English right away. It wasn’t just the Westerners that’d do this. It was the funniest when the locals would hesitate and start conversing with him in their broken English. And depending on his mood he would play along. Sometimes pretending to be from the states and not knowing any Japanese at all. 

It wasn’t hard to understand Malik’s annoyance with being approached at times. His muscular physique and beautiful pigment got him a lot of attention. Because the district was so small it was easy to bump into other passersby while walking within the crowds in the adjacent streets as everybody all spilled out in one big mess. Anzu insisted that they all went to a club called _Knockin Boots_ which apparently was one of the few clubs that still allowed dancing. And it was themain thing she was looking forward to doing. Ryou purposely gripped onto his partner’s hand tightly to make sure they didn’t get separated in the crowd as Malik had the same idea and had kept his hold on Yugi’s shoulder this whole time. They reached the clustered looking line that was leading into a club. It must have been a club Anzu was familiar with, seeing that a group of drag queens started hollering out to her gleefully with open arms at the front door. Without realization the two sets of the couples strayed away from each other as it was natural for Yugi to chase after his giddy girlfriend. And while that happened it seemed like everything started to unfold. 

Malik had brushed past somebody that was also waiting in line. He was fairly tall, pale and slim. He looked like a thug by the way he was dressed and had piercings on his face such as a lip ring and a stud on the side of his nose. His head was shaved in a crew cut but whatever little hair showed was a shade of green with a widow’s peak. There was something bad about this guy. Ryou could tell by how intense he was glaring at Malik. He had snake-like eyes; something was very off. Just as a precaution the Egyptian tried to cover up the fact that he was with the flower boy by distancing himself away from him. Just to make sure that if there was a scuffle that his more delicate partner would be spared any assault that might happen.

“You got a problem?” Malik scoffed out aggressively with a crooked smirk.

The stranger said nothing, narrowing his already small eyes further in suspicion. The longer Malik stared at this shmuck’s face the sooner he realized that he recognized this man. Shit. He was one of his Ghouls for sure. The foreigner’s cocky smirk disappeared without a trace within seconds. How stupid of him not to noticed earlier. This was bad. This was really bad. He hated having a distinct appearance. 

“Malik,” The thug pursed his lips together almost in disdain as he said this with balled fists.

“Never heard of him,” He kept the coolest tone imaginable with an icy stare to match.

This fool wasn’t going to get one over on him. There was no way he was going to allow his past to ruin a night of fun. Malik purposely kept his back directly turned towards Ryou and pressed close against him, waiting for the weight of his partner to move as a sign to head into the club entrance. Seeing that the line was dwindling slowly.

“Don’t play dumb you coward!” The strange man hissed out, taking a step closer towards his former leader.

Malik raised a brow and looked at the delinquent curiously. He wasn’t afraid of him and he knew that this man was capable of being outwitted. The sneaky Arab didn’t need the power of the millennium rod to manipulate. 

“Listen, if this is some kind of BDSM pick-up line I’m not interested. You locals are really odd. Stick to your own kind, yeah?”

Malik quickly switched to English and tried his best to pronounce his syllables smoothly to come across as a true Westerner just to throw him off. It seemed to work seeing that the thug looked dumbfounded. Perhaps he believed the foreign man or it could be that he didn’t fully understand English and couldn’t figure out what the Arab was even saying. Malik didn’t care. He seemed to be back in the clear as he felt Ryou’s presents disappear as he swiftly turned around and followed behind his fair-skinned lover. It was easy to lose track of the random guy since the other customers to the club kept piled in right when Malik stepped foot inside. He looked behind his shoulder a couple of times before grabbing onto Ryou’s arm gently and pulled him.

“Malik, what’s going on?” The flower boy asked before his lover could even say anything.

He looked up at him with wide brown eyes. He didn’t know exactly the connection between Malik and the stranger but Ryou wasn’t a dumb man. He knew that whoever that thug was has been connected to his partner from the past criminal activities. The Egyptian visibly became nervous in his demeanor as he tightened the grip he had on the frail wrist and leaned in close to whisper into the other’s ear.

“If you see that guy--” 

Malik hesitated, taking another look back as a few people bumped into the couple as they tried to squeeze past them. It caused Ryou to maneuver the two of them closer to the wall so they were out of the way. This didn’t even phase his partner seeing that he was still panic struck.

“What’s going on?” Ryou persisted, starting to glance around as well.

“Listen to me!” He continued in a hushed tone, pressing his face closer to Ryou’s.

“If you see that guy around; ignore him and keep away from him. Avoid him as much as possible!” Malik loosened his grip on the other man’s arm and managed to cup his hands together with his.

Ryou flinched slightly to this and nodded as he spoke. He was actually quite worried because of the unknown of how serious the situation was is frightening. Malik had done some major crimes and treated people very cruelly to the point where his morals at that time were questioned. His partner understood why Malik was fearful of who this man exactly was. Because back in the barbaric Arab’s heyday he was only associated with felons and other gangsters. If the thug they just ran into connected who Ryou was to Malik there’d be a high chance of danger for the poor delicate soul. He was susceptible to getting attacked or worse.

“Okay, but can you at least tell me who that is?” 

Ryou wouldn’t let up on the situation. He wanted to respect his partner’s boundaries but also deserved answers as well. To his dismay, Malik stayed rigid with how much he wanted to reveal at this time. He released his hands from his hold before answering.

“No, I’ll tell you when we get home. Stay close to Yugi and his girlfriend tonight,” He told him cooly, planting a kiss onto the top of his ear before parting ways.

The flower boy’s lips curled into a disappointed frown as he was looking forward to spending time with his lover but he accepted for what it was. Knowing that he’d most likely touch base with him during the night. With that being said Ryou did find his way to his friends. The couple was clustered together by the same group of drag queens they were last seen with. There were three queens altogether. Two extremely glamorously feminine looking and one giving off a more an artsy androgynous appeal. From overhearing the conversion the performers were very fond of Anzu because they all were busking on the streets before the worldly Japanese girl moved to America. Yugi just seemed to be staying put out of courtesy since his face was visibly strained with a smile; trying not to give off the impression that he was actually bored. His stance was cool, one hand comfortably tucked in his jacket pocket and the other holding a beer can as he took a few sips of it. He gave a phony laugh when one of the queens shot a flirty remark to him. Ryou knew the feeling all too well. He was good at faking a pleasant persona also.

He approached the gathering quietly and stood next to the gentle rebel since he felt more comfortable next to him. He was acknowledged quickly. First by Yugi of course, looking rather happy to see him. And then Anzu who greeted the ghostly man with a cuddle. Ryou awkwardly hugged back and broke the embrace first.

“Isn’t it a blast in here! I love this club so much!” Anzu sounded optimistic as usual. 

“Uh, yeah. It’s rather crowded in here but it’s nice.”

He gave a small smile, not really knowing what to say. His brown eyes couldn’t help but scan over to the drag queens who were staring at him in awe. Almost mesmerized by the flower boy’s beauty. The tallest one dressed in the most fabulous sheer and flowing dress approached Ryou. Just to get a better look at his face. This automatically made the other two performers join closer as well. 

“You are absolutely stunning my darling!” Her voice had a twang to it as she spoke.

“I’ve never seen somebody so naturally white like that! Wow, Anzu, you always know the cutest guys!” The more androgynous artist added.

“Thanks. Just don’t get too familiar guys, Ryou is committed,” The trendy girl told them teasingly.

“So am I! But nobody needs to know!” The other hyper-feminized queen jokes.

This whole time Ryou stood there stiffly, finding himself in the same position the former King of Games must have been in this whole time. This group was impressive with the banter as they easily derailed the whole conversion within seconds onto another topic. Yugi leaned in close to mumble softly to his friend.

“Where’s Malik, anyway?” He asked, sensing that something was wrong.

Not knowing the correct response Ryou tried to answer as vaguely as possible to save face and stay true to his partner. Knowing that exposing too much might cause a ruckus.

“Around,” He answered awkwardly and shot his head up when the queens refocused back on him.

The most glamorously dressed one in the giant blond wig towered over Ryou in her platform pumps as she linked arms with him.

“Darling, please! You must tell me what your shoe size is! You'd make the most gorgeous woman!” She tugged him playfully before Ryou gently released himself from the hold.

“I think we share a shoe size!” The other feminine queen continued to pursue.

“I’m flattered, really, but I think I’ll pass,” Ryou declined politely. 

“What a spoilsport!”

The artsy queen’s cartoonishly painted lips frowned at the decline and placed her hands onto her hips and took notice of Yugi. 

“What about you honey? You have a small face. You’d look pretty cute yourself~” She gestured towards him with a flamboyant hand gesture.

“Ah, no thanks. I think I'll pass too, sorry,” Yugi grinned nervously with eyes following his macabre roommate sneak away.

He quickly followed behind his pale roommate before spinning back around when Anzu asked where he was going. The gentle rebel tried to excuse himself by telling his sweetheart he’d be right back. And with that, he turned back around and realized that Ryou was no longer in sight.

\--

The booming from the base of the speakers was almost ear-shattering as it played fast-paced techno music. Ryou didn’t even know where he was wandering. He was hoping to spot his partner’s long blond hair within the crowd. It made him wonder how such a small establishment could hold so many people. On the way past the loud DJ booth, he headed to the bar; knowing for a fact that his partner would more than likely be there. And then all of a sudden he was stopped once more. A devilish looking girl--no, boy? Approached him. Ryou was unsure because of the circumstances of where he was. It’s not like it mattered anyway. Whoever this person was must have been connected to the drag queens that he was just greeted by because of how flashy they were dressed. 

“Hey! Don’t I know you from somewhere!” The stranger yelled out loudly, trying to be heard over the music.

Ryou raised a brow with a questionable look on his face as he scanned over the appearance of the feminine looking, individual.

“Um, no, I don’t recognize you. Sorry.”

This person was cute because of their babyface. Short in stature and dressed extremely skimpy. Ryou suspected she was probably a go-go dancer by her holographic vinyl mini-skirt and matching strappy top that barely covered her flat chest. The platform heels made the stranger an inch or two taller than the macabre young man. The only clothing that held any substance to the outfit was the large fur coat that was a hot pink color. Which didn’t do any good since it was open and revealing her trim figure. Ombre hair of brown fading into a blond at the ends was long and looked teased to give it some sort of a style. This stranger’s light brown eyes were shaped sharply and her facial structure was permanently cheeky.

“No, no! I definitely know you from somewhere! I’d never forgotten a face like yours!” The go-go dancer said this like it was a fact.

The comment only caused Ryou’s neutral expression to drop into an unimpressed stare. He didn’t understand the fascination these people had with his soft features. Was Anzu telling the truth that the vibe of the club was Westernized? He hoped not all foreigners were still intrusive. He stood there patiently as the strange person pondered in front of him; looking off into the distance in thought with a hand cupping her chin.

“You wouldn’t happen to be a customer at Soapland are you?” She asked absentmindedly, still trying to pinpoint exactly where she knew the delicate-looking man from.

Oh. It all made sense now. This person must be some kind of host girl to be referring to a place such as Soapland. It was a hot springs dedicated to servicing male clientele with a female companion giving a _helping hand._ If you could read between the lines. The crass stranger was trying to drum up business, or perhaps find a new client in Ryou. Either way, he was the least interested in.

“No, I’m afraid not,” He said blandly.

Before the flower boy got a chance to escape he felt his skin crawl when the warmth of an unknown hand slipped underneath his long braid and gripped onto his pale neck. He immediately nudged whomever's hand away and took no time to turn around and was struck with relief. It was just Malik. His muscles relaxed as his shoulders sagged. His hunch was right, seeing that his partner had a glass of vodka in his hand, and going by his glossy eyes he could tell that the booze was already taking effect on the other man. The androgynous stranger took a step back when Ryou shuffled away after getting grabbed. Her face lit up when getting a good glimpse of the Egyptian taking a swing from his glass. She snapped her fingers in excitement as it was now figured out where she recalled the pretty-faced boy from.

“Hey! Now I remember where I know from! Your name is B-B…” The go-go dancer stuttered, trying to recall the name.

“Byakuya? Or something like that, right? And that guy is your boyfriend! Namu!” 

She pointed to Malik and inched over towards him. Ryou was absolutely dumbfounded and had no idea what was going on at this point. He blinked in confusion and made-eye contact with his partner who was just as caught off guard like him, giving a lazy shrug as a response while pulling his lips away from the glass of his drink to scoff at the stranger.

“What do you want?” He lowered his lavender eyes to meet with the mischievous intruder. 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Namu! You gave me hell the last time I saw you!” 

The round cheeks of the go-go dancer puffed up cutely as she was daring enough to poke at Malik’s chest playfully. And surprisingly he allowed it. Ryou stood there in shock and simply observed the situation unfolding in front of him. What was made clear to him already was that this stranger was familiar with the Arab by one of his disguises. Namu was a common fake name he used when he wanted his identity a secret. And it was also known that they were a couple; so that means Malik seems to trust this person enough to let that be known. Byakuya was the only thing that didn’t connect. The only thing Ryou could think of was that he was being referred to by his last name. But how would this stranger know Ryou even by his last name? Unless Malik told them, but that didn’t seem right either.

“I don’t remember,” Malik stated flatly, not impressed by this cheaply dressed performer.

“What do you mean you don’t remember!” her voice heightened from the audacity of the lack of appreciation.

She placed her hands on her hips and turned to eye-ball Ryou that had gotten lost within this utterly bizarre encounter. Purple tinted lips curved into a pout.

“And I guess you don’t remember either, do you, Byakuya?”

The flower boy stayed silent at first to reassess the situation before answering.

“Actually... uh, that isn’t my name,” He corrected softly, unsure if it was a wise decision.

“What! No way! Are you for real? Don’t you remember me from a few years ag--”

“His name is Bakura you fool!” Malik finally chimed back in annoyance.

“Hey! I was close! Don’t give me an attitude about it!” The stranger waved the cocky foreigner off as she turned to face Ryou fully.

“So, anyway. Just in case you don’t remember me either. My name is Karin. And it’s been a while,” She stretched their arm for a handshake.

Malik stepped in and pushed Karin’s hand away before Ryou even had a chance to accept the offer. He was too taken back by what he now understood. This person was mistaking Ryou for the spirit of the ring. By Gods, how dreadful this predicament was. This was a nightmare. An absolute terror to be recognized by somebody Ryou didn’t even know but had met in the past while being somebody else. 

“Geez, you’re just as jealous as how I remembered you being from the last time, Namu, what’s what with that?” Karin rolled their eyes.

Malik kept his position in front of Ryou’s slender frame. Almost in a protective stance; the former gang leader was foggy on the details of who this person was but was wise enough to know that if she is associated with his past then she was involved in some criminal activity that his innocent partner doesn’t need any involvement in. 

“I barely remember you. And whatever you’re trying to pull. Neither of us is interested.”

His tone became stern and dark, which only amused Karin further. She liked it when men were feisty like this one. Her light brown eyes squinted in glee, like a mischievous cat as a slick grin grew on her face.

“What happened to that big tall guy? Did you die?” Karin was purposely nosing around just to tease now. 

Malik didn’t find it worth his while to answer. She was obviously talking about Rishid that he didn’t recall ever bringing his elder brother into an area like this one.

“Yeah,” The Egyptian said just to shut her up.

There was more to this go-go dancer then what she was leading on. Karin was clearly a schemer. It was plain that this feminine looking face was now sticking around just to be bothersome and dig up the truth of what Malik was being evasive about. Her tall platform heels began taking long strides closer to the fragile looking flower boy that the other man was trying to guard. Malik’s eyes followed her every move.

"Remember how you wanted to be a wannabe pimp with that gold rod of yours?” Karin asked the testy Arab sweet as she circled around the couple slowly. 

She held her hands comfortably behind her back and abruptly stopped to the side of Ryou and scanned over his appearance once more.

“And you. You look less deranged from the last time I saw you. I’m glad you’re sober now,” Karin stopped in place and gave a genuine smile.

The conversion that had been going on was honestly just white noise to Ryou by now. Considering that he was still in pure shock of what was currently going on. He didn’t know how to react to any of this and there was a chunk of him that felt betrayed in a way. And most importantly, hurt. He was also aware that the betrayal he was feeling was foolish because it was past events that he was allowing to control his heart and it was ridiculous. 

Malik on the other hand found humor in the fact that Karin thought his precious partner was on drugs when he was being possessed by the thief. He had to hold back a chuckle as he set down his now empty glass on a nearby empty table. The more the annoying prostitute babbled on the more he was recalling exactly who she was. Karin was a cross-dresser to one of the mixed gender host clubs in this area of Ni-chome. She also took an extreme fascination with the young gangster at the time because Malik always had a taste for outlandish clothing and convinced herself that he must have had an interest in the sex industry because of his choice in fashion. 

If he remembered correctly that this troublesome lady-boy wanted to cohort the naive little tomb keeper boy into being her pimp. Back then when he was still young and dumb Malik took it as a compliment. When his morals and the view of the world were still twisted. But later on when he gradually became more knowledgeable about the ways of the streets. He found out that Karin was intoned that the cocky Arab was fresh to the game and wanted him as her pimp because he would have been easy to mold into whatever Karin liked. 

To top that off she was also gang affiliated since she was a favorite of one of the leaders to another gang that the Ghouls would occasionally get involved in. Malik never did any serious trading with who Karin was associated with. But he did know of them and was aware that the host girl was a conniving little sonofabitch. 

“It's been a long time, Karin. You look good for an old hag," A snarky grin stretched his lips.

"Aw, thanks Namu!~ So do you! I think you'd still look sexy in a tight dress even though you bulked up since the last time we met."

Karin kept her overly pleasant tone as her cunning gaze focused back on the vacant looking flower boy. She arched her back to lean in towards Ryou and tilted her to the side as she spoke.

"I definitely know you would, Ba-kur-aaa~” She slowly cooed out softly.

The amusement Malik had was wiped right off his face when the acknowledgment was back towards his more delicate partner as the Egyptian stretched his arm out to separate the two once more. Ryou’s facial expression stayed barren but he noticeably stood a bit taller when he became alert of the conversion again. 

"Leave him alone, Karin. He's not even the same person you met," Malik admitted.

Karin flustered her brows together as a cheeky grin of disbelief appeared on her beautifully outlined face. 

“Oh? You mean I saw you snogging his doppelganger or something like that?” The host girl used her hand to hide the giggle that she couldn’t contain.

How amusing, these two were a real hoot. Just like how Karin remembered the pair as; even if the white-haired one was much quieter and subdued this time around. Though, a glimmer of life had returned back in those dark brown eyes of him as his stare had narrowed into a glare. Directed straight at the prodding go-go dancer.

“Precisely,” Ryou abruptly answered harshly before giving his partner the same glare.

Malik actually looked quite surprised by the flower boy’s reaction as he dropped his arm back to his side when Ryou shoved his arm out of his way and pushed passed Karin hastily. The performer also wasn’t expecting such a reaction; she was not disappointed either.

“Ooo!~ He still holds a temper! I may like him better than you, Namu,” Karin teases as she watched Ryou rush off with her keen eyes.

“Shut up,” Malik growled lowly and began chasing after Ryou who was quickly disappearing into the crowd of gyrating bodies.

He left the prostitute in the dust as the Arab made it his mission to catch up to his precious lover. Malik easily got a few steps ahead of Ryou once he met back up with him and spun around to face him and started slowing his pace to try his best to communicate.

“Where are you going?” He asked in true concern.

“I’m trying to find Yugi,” Ryou answered curtly, making a jagged turn to escape from any dispute that may startup. 

Malik stayed quick-footed as he skidded in front of the other man and blocked his escape with his slightly taller height and much bulkier build.

“I didn’t sleep with Karin,” He blurted out.

Ryou was hurrying so fast that he stopped in his tracks last minute and caused his face to bump into his partner, his nose brushed against leather that covered the top of his shoulder. He blinked in confusion and took a step back to stare back up at those lavender eyes to see if they were lying.

“I didn’t think you did. It’s not about sex. It no longer matters,” He crossed his arms, trying to shield himself from the uncomfortable aura that was starting to build.

“Then what is it about that troubles you, habibi?” Malik continued to pry.

When Ryou turned his face away in frustration is when a pause between them filled the void of tension and that’s when it finally struck the dumbfounded Egyptian.

“Oh, it’s about the thief isn’t it?”

There was another hesitation between them as Ryou kept his harsh gaze focused on the dirty cement floor that was serving as a dance floor. Malik started to swell up with the regret of past bad behavior. And how he loathed himself this very moment for making his precious lover feel the sting of wrongdoings he had committed before he knew any better. His face stayed stone-faced, trying his hardest not to look a fool from the anguish he actually felt.

“...I’m sorry,” Malik whispered, reaching out to touch his lover’s pale cheek.

Ryou was honestly the most fed up with his pathetic attitude at the moment as his first reaction without even thinking was to slap the insufferable Egyptian’s hand away from him.

“Don’t start Malik,” Ryou grumbled, trying to keep his composure. 

And within seconds the suffocating interaction between the couple was defused when the sudden ruckus of an exelating dispute. There was yelling and swearing heard from behind them as the dance floor cleared out just so people could go rubberneck. It didn’t interest either partner much until Yugi’s pained scream was heard from afar. This caused the bickering men to shoot a look of panic at each other before they rushed off to the scene of the crime. The flower boy managed to scuttle his way faster in between the crowd and made it past the threshold to get a good view of his friend Yugi getting roughened up by the same snake-eyed thug from earlier. 

He was holding the poor gentle rebel up by the straps of his harness up in the air. His jacket had been pulled off during all the jostling around and thrown onto the cracked asphalt and was now draped over Anzu’s arm as she had a stronghold on the back of her sweetheart’s ankle. Refusing to release her grip.

“Let him go you creep!” She screeched out angrily.

The harness had loosened and rode up against the former King of Game’s throat during all the throttling that was happening on the ground a few moments ago. His nose was bleeding; Yugi had given up on trying to talk it out with the skinhead seeing that he was in pure rage. There was no sense of reasoning with such a person. But it did not stop Anzu from trying her hardest to pry her boyfriend away from this degenerate’s clutches. 

“Stop it! You’re hurting him!” She whined loudly, empathy was evident in her voice.

“Shut up you bitch!” The thug snarled out venom practically dripping out of his mouth.

The young eccentric male held onto the rouge stranger’s hands tightly to keep him from completely being choked as his lightweight body was forcibly swung back as an attempt ward off Anzu. Which seemed to work since the fearless Japanese girl was thrown off her feet from the impact of her lover’s body crashing into hers and fell backwards onto her knees. Anger started to boil over inside the young woman. Looks were deceiving as if it wasn’t for Yugi mustering up enough strength to command her to stop she would have tried her hardest to wallop that scumbag.

“Anzu, stop! I don’t want you getting hur--”

“Don’t fuck with me!” The thug squawked out.

He continued to hold the gentle rebel up in the air. Yugi squinted again, not from the pain this time but from the droplets of spit that he couldn’t avoid from the violent shouting of this deranged man. Ryou was mixed among the gathering that managed to squeeze their way to gawk at the brawl that was going on. The flower boy had made subtle eye-contact with Anzu which gave her some sort of comfort knowing that one of their friends was around. It was unknown where Malik had wandered off to. Ryou sensed he was around and he must have gotten caught in the ocean of people. 

I know who you are! Yugi Mutou! Former King of Games. The world champagne. The Pharaoh!~” He twisted his tone into a silly mocking voice as he went on.

“You ruined my fucking life! You and Malik Ishtar are gonna pay!” 

And with all that being said Ryou came to the conclusion that if this dolt was after Malik and he remembered Yugi from all those years ago then surely he would remember him too. Or rather, he’d remember the thief. And it wouldn’t be hard for the more delicate man to pretend to be the spirit that had consumed more than half of his life. Malik had appeared just in time as he looked on in bewilderment; before the daring Arab was able to react in defense of his friend Ryou spun again and attacked his partner with a surprise kill. It was more than a shock, it was unexpected and outright out of character. The liplock was short-lived as Malik broke the kiss first, backing up a bit to look his partner in the eyes.

“Don’t you think this is more than an inappropriate time for this?” He said, not recognizing his own voice since this was a typical thing the more responsible flower boy would say.

“No,” Ryou said with a chilling grin on his face as he held up the switchblade he just nabbed from his lover’s tight leather pants.

Ryou was more than familiar enough to where his partner stored such a ghastly item. In cases like this one, Malik never stored it in his pocket. He hides it in the waistline of his pants. And because this was such a chaotic circumstance he hadn’t even noticed. He only took note of how unbelievably fast Ryou swung into action; by shoving the green-haired goon as hard he could and clicked open the knife his partner was so fond of. It happened like a flash. A rush of pain right into the side of this loud-mouth thug is what finally caused him to drop Yugi back onto the ground and double over to yank out the knife that was sticking out of his body. His already maddened eyes became even wider with rage when he realized the face of his attacker.

“You!” His voice strained in fury, gripping onto the handle of the switchblade and tossed it aside.

Ryou’s face was unmoved, his eyes were blank but his smile was just as sweet as ever. His hunch was correct. This freak did remember him as the thief and it made him the perfect target. He kept his incredible speed seeing that he had managed to sprint away right before the thug was able to stand upright once more. 

“Come catch me you fool!” He hollered out, almost joyously.

And with that, he started to gain more momentum and disappeared into one of the side streets of Ni-chome. The thug was able to chase after the daring fair-skinned man without hesitation, seeing that the knife wound was shallow. Malik had bulldozed his way out of the crowd and stopped in front of Anzu who was holding Yugi closely to her as the couple was still seated on the grimy ground. He gazed at them somberly; studying their disposition before bending down to snatch up his knife up from the ground.

“Heh, I think you rubbed off on him Malik,” Yugi said in jest to ease the situation to no avail.

Malik slipped the switchblade back into the secured place in his waistband before looking over his shoulder at his friends.

“If the cops come, you didn’t see anything,” He was montoned when he said this.

Anzu’s brows dipped in concern and glossy pink lips pressed together tightly in contempt.

“We can’t just lie to the authorities like that!” 

Her large eyes that were shielded by blue colored contact-lenses widened in disbelief when the daring Arab snapped his head back to give her a piercing glare; her goodie-two-shoes ways was a reminder of why he held such distaste towards her. Malik took off like a bullet, the wrath he felt was the fuel he needed to catch up with his partner and the goon chasing after him.

\--

Heavy panting is what was masking the sound of rubber soles of worn-out sneakers hitting the pavement in the less populated side streets of the redlight district. Ryou had not thought this through. He reacted out in impulse trying to protect his dear friend Yugi and he was paying for his rash decision by being ahead of the crazed thug by a few footsteps. His long skinny legs throbbed from pain as he was having a hard time keeping up the speedy pace that he originally started with. This was such a stupid time to regret declining early morning jogs with his athletic partner as the training could have helped him in an emergency situation like this one. The gentle male’s lungs were on fire; so desperately trying not to stagger. He knew if he did that would be the end of him. This snake-eyed bastard would have no mercy on the flower boy since he knew there was association with Malik. And only the Gods knew what horrors the spirit of the ring contributed to the madness of the delouses the young Egyptian. 

Ryou perpetually kept looking in back of him just to make sure that he was keeping ahead of his assailant. Thank the Gods he was strong enough to at least keep a small distance apart from the frightening thug. Even the way he ran was almost abnormal. Looking more like a starving animal than a heartbroken human being. It was because the tormented anguish Malik Ishtar had seeped into this once innocent man’s soul. It had rotted his inner-core from the inside out. No longer making his vision clear to the world as a whole. Just blinding him from the truth of the matter with the pain that had turned him deranged. 

It wasn’t until Ryou made a sharp turn down one of the many linked side streets that he finally felt like he was scot-free. It was foolish of him to think so because little did is that while all the running was happening one of the laces to his sneakers had loosened and it caused him to clumsily step onto the end of the tattered string and fall face first into the asphalt. Which was a big mistake. Just when the macabre young man was the most vulnerable on the ground is when the former Ghoul reappeared. Ryou was conscious enough to roll onto his back and sit up and stared at the image displaying in front of him. A pair of small eyes glinting with vengeance as the gangster hunched over; he really did resemble a vicious creature of the night prowling over to its wounded prey. Ryou really was frozen in fear as his body didn’t interact accordingly to his mind. There was a lump in his throat, unable to move fast enough as he began crawling backward while keeping the sitting position he was in. The same grubby hand that was thrashing his friend around suddenly grabbed onto the baggy denim to his jeans as he grabbed onto the delicate man’s ankle tightly. Ryou let out a yelp of surprise.

“Oh, how I’m going to enjoy this,” He mused out darkly in the most sinister tone Ryou has ever heard.

Well, almost heard. But he’d give the former Ghoul some credit as it was intimidating to hear. For some odd reason, he didn’t feel as petrified as he perhaps should in such a life threatening situation such as this one. There was no doubt about it. This green-haired manic was terrifying. But the seemingly weak and feeble looking Ryou had already danced with the devil once. And he found it quite fun. It’s when the thug began dragging the more slender framed man closer towards him when Ryou somehow managed to untwine the grip his assailant had on his ankle and was able to kick him harshly square in the face. The thug was completely stunned by this as he honestly thought he had this prey in the bag. The most blood curdling scream escaped from the bastard’s mouth as he automatically yanked himself away to prop himself up onto his knees and cupped his face since the flower boy gave his nose a hard enough kick. His hands became bloody when they finally reached his now wounded face. The thug’s hands were stained with blood for years but this time around it was his own. And it made Ryou feel unsettled that he found great satisfaction in that as he slowly started to get back up onto his feet.

He brushed his white bangs out of his face, staring down at his attacker with disdain. He didn’t even care about whether or not he was harmed. But how dare this awful man ever try to lay a finger on his best friend Yugi. The two made eye-contact. The thug was furious. It was to be expected. It made Ryou back up a few steps; he wasn't even sure what was going to happen. He took a look at his surroundings and it was brick walls at this point. Wow, how smart of him to pick probably the only dead end street in Ni-chome. Ryou had made himself a cornered rat. He wasn’t even afraid of fighting or even dying. No, far from it. It was just the anticipation he hated.

Then all of a sudden it looked like a knife of all things came flying down from the sky. Like if the Gods of war had heard Ryou’s thoughts. The gangster didn’t even a moment to recuperate from the first trauma as he soon let out another hoarse scream. The dagger had stabbed him in the back of the neck, and it looked deep from where the utterly confused man was standing. When the thug went to desperately feel around for the weapon lodged behind him. Now that his hands were away from his face it was clear to see all the fresh blood from his broken nose that was smeared all over his face. It was quite pathetic looking really. 

The strange occurrence caused Ryou to shoot his head up and gawk around for the reason of the knife. The rooftops were empty. This was really odd. And right when Ryou was starting to believe that the assault was from a miracle from above his mind was quickly changed when he started hearing the enraged yelling of his partner as Malik came storming in and without skipping a beat he sprinted straight towards his former follower and tackled him to the ground. 

“Listen here you piece of shit! You were by far one of the weakest Ghouls I’ve ever had! And your unfathomable behavior tonight has only shown it!” Malik’s angered voice bounced against the grimy brick wall in an echo that now was trapping the three of them together.

He had not even realized that the man was already injured. It finally struck the Arab when he was able to topple over the thug with ease. The dagger that was already stuck in his back had fallen out from the impact of being thrown to the ground. Once the weapon was laying beside them is when a puddle of blood was forming from under the half-unconscious bastard. Malik blinked in surprise; he was unphased by the blood of course and admittedly neither was Ryou. The bizarre couple has seen their fair share of the gruesome stuff. Seeing that the thug was no threat to them now. Malik’s bogged mind had cleared just enough to notice his beloved and boosted himself up from the hovering position he was in.

“Ryou!” His tone had completely softened as he staggered only slightly to reach his partner in the same place he had been standing in this whole time.

Malik was hasty, not even letting Ryou react properly considering that the Egyptian was convinced that his gorgeous lover was seriously injured because of his stupidity. He kissed the more delicate man hungrily while tightly embracing him by pulling him close into his larger build. Ryou didn’t fight it; he returned the affection back. He’s been craving this type of passion all night as he wrapped his fingers around each side of Malik’s strong neck to feed into their liplock. He pressed the flower boy into the cold bricks in the wall as he only broke the kiss to leave a trail of lovebites down the other’s pale skin. Ryou’s daunting stare never left the sight of the passed out body of his assailant. There was no way this man was getting back up any time soon. The freak was out cold from blood loss.

“Your knife aim is perfect Ryou,” He held onto his gentle partner’s head steady and eagerly covered his beautiful face with kisses.

The compliment caused alarm within Ryou as he stiffened his body and grabbed onto Malik’s hands to have him ease up on the doting. And it worked as the Arab did as he was directed and dropped his hands to the side and leaned further away from his fragile lover.

“What?” His playful smirk faded into a concerned frown.

“I thought you threw the knife,” Ryou said suspiciously. 

“No,” Malik glanced down and pulled out his trusty switchblade.

“You know I only carry this one,” He continued as he held the knife up to his partner.

Ryou nodded slowly, still in thought. He pushed Malik aside so he was able to walk around the trapped space. He took a long look around the rooftops again before the dagger lying on the ground caught his eyes again. It was a small one and silver with a gold handle. He stood there in silence and tried focusing on the possibilities of who it could be. And Malik stood there patiently as he walked along the outline of the lifeless thug. He was staring down at him critically and purposely keeping a distance so his blood didn’t stain his snakeskin boots. He had caused enough trouble already. 

“We should get going. Before the pigs show up,” Malik said, perking his head up to look over at Ryou.

He nodded in response. 

“Yeah, but first let’s make an anonymous call.”

The former Ghoul was a felon but this was not a way to die even if Malik disagreed.

\--

When the couple made it back to civilization they didn’t bother going back to _Knockin Boots_ because it would be too conspicuous and after getting a text from Yugi that he and Anzu had already left the club right after Malik ran off. They thought it would be best just to let the other couple enjoy the apartment alone by themselves since Ryou and Malik are always preoccupying it the most. There was also no need to make an anonymous call, Anzu had informed them that there were plenty of people including herself that had made reports on what happened. She also made sure to not mention anything about Malik’s involvement though it was uncertain if the rest of the witnesses will be as vague as the trendy Japanese girl. It didn’t matter in the slightest though now since all the hot-blooded foreigner wanted to do was drag Ryou to a love hotel for the night, which to be fair wasn’t a bad idea. Not for the purpose, one would think. But after this whole ordeal, the flower boy was quite tired and pretty hungry as well. So the couple settled on a ramen place. Nothing special, just a quick stop to fill their empty bellies and call it night. They sat at a wooden counter in front of the kitchen area where the register was close by. They purposely picked a shop that wasn’t too populated and ordered a shared bowl of whatever vegetarian ramen they served to share. And a side of tonkatsu since Ryou was in the mood for something extra. They ate quietly, it was comfortable, and that almost made the two men forget about the brush with death they just had. 

Until Malik pressed close into Ryou next to him on the stool and wiped his mouth before speaking as he kept his arm low towards his partner so he didn’t bring any attention to him. He pointed to the back of the tiny shop while Ryou turned his head slightly to stare over at Karin of all people sitting at one of the booths with a foreign red-headed man with a deep pigment. 

“How interesting,” Ryou mumbled, popping a piece of tonkatsu in his mouth and chewed.

“Do you think he’s following us?” Malik whispered, using the renge spoon to sip some of the delicious soy milk-based broth from the bowl.

“Definitely,” Ryou sounded confident as he rested his shoulder into his partner’s side.

His eyes wandered away from the go-go dancer and dipped his chopsticks back into the ramen to get a few pieces of the bean sprouts that were floating around. Malik slowly readjusted in his seat as well and draped his free arm over his lover’s shoulders just to feel close to him. After a few minutes, the flamboyant host boy and his suitor got up from the booth they were sitting and headed to the counter. As they walked by Karin’s scheming expression gazed over at them. Mainly eyeing Ryou seeing that he was the one beside her. Malik acknowledged Karin staring first and shot her the dirtiest of looks. He hadn’t learned yet, behavior like that only egged on the mischievous lady-boy.

“I heard you killed a man. Good job, Bakura,” Karin flashed a sincere smile.

Ryou didn’t lift his head until he heard his name and looked up at Karin in fake surprise. He knew he was there the whole time. 

“Thanks,” He gave back the same energy with his pleasant tone.

Little did Karin know that Ryou had helped kill a few men. He wasn’t the main perpetrator but he was an unaware accomplice in a lot of dirty deeds. Once the suitor paid for their meal he gave the odd couple a bewildered stare before grimacing at them. Ryou came to the conclusion that there was a high possibility that Karin fancied himself the foreigner type. The cheeky host girl linked arms with her date and gave a cutesy wave to the pair as Malik begrudgingly tried to keep his temper down by not letting any sarcasm pass through his lips. He did however make it a point to turn around in his stool to face Karin and the fellow foreigner as he somehow managed to cross his leg in those tight pants of his. While Karin cuddled against her date’s arm they headed towards the door to leave. And Ryou had the urge to follow. Not to come across as abrupt, he approached them as friendly as possible.

“Um, excuse me, Karin,” He called out softly, stopping in front of strangers.

“What is it, honey? You can come with us if you want,” Her cheekiness never letup. 

Ryou gave an unnerved smile, trying his best not to break his charming visage. Especially after getting visibly undressed by the tall forgien man that was with the prostitute. As for Malik, he was gobsmacked. He had no clue why his partner had the gall to approach that troublesome crossdresser in such a way. Instead of getting up and following the flower boy he stayed seated and watched intently; afraid if he made himself known that there’d be a square up with him and the big shot over there and he couldn’t risk getting arrested tonight since he was already on the sensor. 

“Ah, no, it’s not. I just wanted to ask you something,” Ryou’s charming smile started to become crooked from secretly becoming frustrated. 

Karin’s playful demeanor dropped as she had become actually curious now. She turned to her date and asked him politely to step out so they could meet up in front of the building. Once the man left the gaudily dressed go-go dancer faced Ryou again.

“Anything, I’m curious now,” She took a step forward and cooed to him.

“Why did you help me back there?” He asked.

Karin’s long false lashes touched together when she blinked. A large amused grin stretched her lips so far at the thought of this innocent young man that looked like some student council president straight out of high school. Karin was the master of knowing that looks were deceiving. 

“You hold a temper and you’re really smart! You’re full of surprises aren’t you?~” 

“Well, I thought you made it fairly obvious,” Ryou shrugged off her condescending tone.

“But, you never answered me. What made you help me like that?”

Karin’s cunning eyes squinted. She rather liked this nosy elegant looking man. Even if his partner was quite the pest because of his possessiveness. And seeing that Malik was seated from a few feet away the host girl got the chance to step a little closer towards the flower boy. Ryou’s stance froze as he allowed Karin to brush her lips against his cheek and kissed him hard to leave a lipstick stain on his white skin.

“Let’s just say I like your face.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy sh*t this was longer than I was intending it to be.
> 
> When I first started writing this fic I've always been wanting to write a chapter about gay pride in Japan for a long time. Because being open isn't as popularized there as it is here in the West. Which is heartbreaking to me. I also don't really like to name drop actually regions in the Yugioh plot-line. But, like, Ni-chome is a really big deal. And I wanted to honor it because I think it's a really cool place. I'd even hang out in if I had the chance. :)
> 
> Yugi and Anzu's outfits are based on contestants of a vogue performance I was watching one night. (LOL) Malik's outfit is based off what I imagined Malik wearing in my fellow fic writer rochelle-echidna story Black Sheep. (I love you bby~) And Ryou's outfit is based off a current fashion trend I can see him liking because he's so slim. 
> 
> There's also headcanons of Yugi being bisexual. Which I think is adorable so I went with it. (I'm also a sucker for heartshipping >>)
> 
> I actually wanted to make the thug character Seeker, a real ghoul from the series. He's like--as popular as Strings. I was surprised when I looked it up. But, Seeker is dead and in the shadow realm so I created an unknown thug.
> 
> Karin is not a character a made-up on the spot. He's actually the main character of mine in my original works. You can kinda tell that this story became more saturated in my actual tone of writing. (Like, my own writing. Not my fic writing) The suitor Karin is with is actually supposed to be his live-in boyfriend named Red. And they love each other very much.
> 
> "I like your face." Was inspired by this song ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvs4nyijMZw
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this. And kinda, exploring different elements? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it too!~
> 
> \- Jess <3


	8. Recollection

It was early evening and a soft glow of light pooled into the cracked door of Ryou’s bedroom. The stream of golden fluorescence laid across the ghostly white skin of the flower boy’s slender body that was sprawled across a plush duvet with its many pastels and muted colors of plaid. A more muscular body overlapped him; the exquisite deeper complexion complementing the contrast of pigment. Clothes were of course tossed to the floor and made a trail towards the foot of the bed. The feeling of the foreigner’s wet mouth laying sensual kisses across his chest was blissful but it did not compare to the excitement he felt from the sharp and eased pain of the gentle nibbling from his partner teasing his irresistible pink nipples. Malik for some reason has a fascination with the fact that Ryou’s nipples were actually pink in color. He had stated it was because he has never seen anybody else with such a distinct feature before. And because of that it only made the Arab want to play with such cute things. After each tug by his teeth, Malik made sure to plant a generous amount of kisses across his chest to compensate for the endurance; this included kissing around at the horrific jagged scar that was created many years ago.

Large tanned hands dragged slowly down his beautiful lover’s prominent ribcage and continued to run his fingers down his body, having Ryou’s shape engraved in his mind. It caused the more delicate man to arch his back out of yearning, hand politely covering his mouth out of the habit of modesty. The sensual kissing continued but this time downward as Malik skillfully crept his body off the bed and lowered himself down. Big brown eyes made contact with that alluring gaze from those lavender eyes. They were both tranquil and hungry. Amazing. 

The waiting was excruciating on both ends. Once Malik’s lips reached under his lover’s navel he pulled his face away and crouched down onto the floor to get a better view of for his hands to maneuver, sliding his fingers into the waistline of Ryou’s more than troublesome boxers that were getting in the way of all fun. Before the impatient Egyptian was able to pull the garment completely off Ryou suddenly sat up and reached his hand over to signal for his partner to stop.

“No,” He abruptly commanded in a hushed tone.

Malik’s motion froze as he immediately released his hold and looked across from his beloved in almost fright, unknown if he had been too hasty or perhaps may have read his delicate lover’s body language wrong. This was frightening. All these unnecessary thoughts bombarded this head as the only thing out of a hundred thoughts his vocal cords were able to muster up was the word.

“Why?” His voice was just as quiet.

Ryou’s expression softened as he sat up straight, a comforting smile stretched his lips while hunching over to kiss lips with the panic-struck Arab.

“Let me aid you first,” He said, keeping a calm tone to help soothe.

Malik was unmoved, still looking completely stupefied even as he was being kissed. After taking a moment to process the situation a cheeky smirk appeared on his face as he slowly stood up.

“You scared me, ya amar,” He said with relief.

His tense demeanor had relaxed with his eyes carefully watching this delicate man’s every move as Ryou slid himself closer to the edge of the bed and reached up to undo the chunky belt buckle to his trousers. There wasn’t much fuss for uncovering the object of desire seeing that it only took a tug of a buckle and a quick unzip of the hem to have the erection poke out, letting itself be known. Ryou tilted his head with a glimpse of mischievousness looking up at the other man.

“My apologies. Let me make up for it.”

And with that, he boldly reached up and wrapped his slender fingers around the girth of his unbelievably appealing partner. Malik was a stubborn man on many matters, except for this insistence. When it came to the throws of passion the former tomb keeper might as well have been putty in the flower boy’s hands. Just a light touch had his shaft throbbing from agony. The Egyptian managed to behave as he stood there patiently and continued to watch the calculated strokes from his gentle-faced lover. Just like how Ryou treated his crafts the art of pleasing was just as slow and diligent. He wasn’t rough and high-energetic like Malik was. He wanted to enjoy what was currently his play-thing. What drove his partner the craziest was the way he used mainly his fingertips when engaging in heavy petting. Ryou did it on purpose because of that reason. His innocent looks always were a perfect disguise. 

Ryou had decided it was enough to torment once he started feeling a sticky fluid that was dripping down from neglect that was being received. The flower boy kept a hold on his shaft as he was so enticed by the heat of the moment that it was an automatic response to skim his free hand down the incredibly sculpted abs. His caressing was returned with a loving pet on the back of the head from Malik who smiled down at him when their eyes met. With no longer dawdling Ryou finally went straight to the task at hand, starting with a gentle kiss to the tip before curling his lips around the edges and gliding his lover’s full length into his mouth. Just for a better sensation he continued to stroke from the bottom and allowed his tongue to do most of the work. 

A sigh of ecstasy escaped the Arab while he closed his eyes to get a proper feel of the wondrous warmth that was his lover’s mouth. He perked his head up and fed into the way the more delicate man used the flat part of his tongue to get the most sensitive spots of his part; which led to eventually slipping the shaft out to lick and kiss thoroughly at the surface. Malik ran his hand through his fringe out of eagerness as he peered back down at that gorgeous face. Ryou’s cheeks were hollowed out as he had gone back to what was most desired. He was gazing up at his partner so tenderly despite having a lewd expression. It was maddening, to say the least. How could the Egyptian resist this. 

He stretched his arm down to cup his chin which caused the flower boy to halt his movement and widened his mouth in order for his foreign lover to slip out and slowly plunge back in. He rubbed his thumb under Ryou’s chin as a sign of affection; repetitively continued as it soon became very shallow thrusts. Malik kept steady in precaution not to harm his beloved. It was much appreciated seeing that the more delicate man had grabbed onto his wrist and squinted at him lovingly. When the friction was becoming too much the Arab decided to pull out and bend over as he lifted this precious man’s head up to kiss him deeply. Because of the rushing, it was clumsy but was intoxicating nonetheless. 

“The bed habibi, _now_ ,” He urged, taking a step back allowing Ryou to crawl back up on the duvet.

As his slender frame reached over to the massive bookshelf as Malik took it upon himself to give him a hand by pulling off those blasted boxers finally and threw them aside. Ryou pushed one of his display cases over and grabbed the small bottle of lubricant that was hidden behind it. The Egyptian had his hand gripped tightly onto the pale rear of his partner and leaned in close when the other man held out the bottle up to him. Malik kissed behind the beautiful male’s ear as he took the lubricant from him and sat down from behind.

“Yugi should be coming home soon,” Ryou mentioned out of the blue, looking over at the antique clock hanging from the wall.

The only response back was the sudden pressure that was felt from behind by two fingers, having Malik tease the flower boy a bit before positioning himself properly. The tense, yet pleasurable sensation caused Ryou’s knees to buckle down as he let out a squeal and lowered his torso into the mattress. He kept his rear lifted in the air to give his partner better access when he was ready. He dug in deep enough to make Ryou squirm; his free hand finding his lover’s shaft pressed against his taut belly and began stroking it to return the favor from earlier. 

“Stay like this then,” Malik told him, pulling a pillow over so Ryou hid his face into it when need be.

Ryou took the initiative to settle the side of his head into the soft cushioning of the pillow with one arm tucked under the pillow and the other rested on top, continuing to cover his mouth as his body was reacting the way his seductive lover wanted, causing him to dig a bit deeper. Which he seemed to succeed, seeing how the vulnerable state of the smaller framed man quivering from his handy work was more than irresistible. When he was able to allure a sweet moan out of his typically quiet partner is when Malik had decided that was enough teasing. Ryou glanced over at him briefly as his body continued to shiver a bit from anticipation when watching the other squeeze a good amount of lubrication onto his hand to lather up before positioning his part correctly. He groped both sides of his rear and gave a few rubs from the slippery lube against the entrance before slipping himself in completely. 

There was no way Malik could ever resist this kind of tightness; unable to contain his own carnivore desires he bucked his hips harshly into his unsuspecting lover. The forcefulness earned another moan, this time a tad bit louder. It was a type of pleasure Ryou ached for as his body recognized this divine feeling better than his own mind did. Even at the first encounter with the strange lusty foreigner; the flower boy’s body surrendered to his unquenchable thirst for his pale flesh. It wasn’t the intense pounding from behind that had him paralyzed. It was the feather like touches of Malik’s fingertips as he stroked his hands back up the other’s sides. He arched his back to press his torso into Ryou’s back as the couple was completely fused together. The Arab nuzzled his face into his skin and kissed down his spine with a smirk. Those sneaky tan hands found their back to those delicate pink nipples and tugged at them gently. 

Ryou had been completely swept away from the intense pleasure that engulfed the core of his beginning. He clutched onto the pillow for dear life; nails digging into the starch fabric. Those large brown eyes of his were peeking out and half-lidded as it was clear that he was in a trance from the ecstasy. Remarkably enough, the more fragile partner still had enough willpower not to drown the whole bedroom with his moans. Malik must have been feeling it too since he had now straightened out his back and bit into the crook of his lover’s shoulder out of desperation. It sparked urgency within Ryou as he finally felt himself unraveling. His feisty partner caught his lips while his gorgeous partner readjusted his head onto the pillow. The passionate kiss was cut short along with Malik suddenly pulling out to sit back up. The couple made eye-contact, easing the flower boy’s surprise but didn’t subside the yearning for release he felt.

“W-what?” He mewled, staring up into those tender lavender eyes as Malik carefully rolled him onto his back. 

Ryou didn’t protest this decision as the way he was being gazed down was intoxication enough. He laid there patiently as the Egyptian positioned himself once more by very slowly slipping himself back into place and took great amusement of the slight frustration of his lover under him.

“I wanted to see that gorgeous face of yours come undone, habibi,” He told him in the most haughty tone as he arched his back and continued where he left off, with a harsh and fast pace.

Before a cry could even escape the other partner’s mouth Malik kept on his promise of keeping the volume down. He lowered his face back down to cover his partner’s face with kisses before lip-locking once more. Without even thinking, Ryou placed his hand onto each side of his shoulders and gripped on tightly and soon wrapped his arms around his neck once he felt that same feeling of release return. Without even thinking the delicate man dug his nails into the tender bronze skin of his lover’s back. Which only egged the Arab on more as his hips were frantic in movement. Within seconds everything became a blur, sensory overload had completely devoured the helpless body of the flower boy as he finally reached his climax. The most blissful whimper of ecstasy was drawn out from the beautiful man underneath Malik as he used it as fuel to reach his own peak a few moments later with his own loud grunt as he finished by pulling out for the last time and collapsed beside his precious beloved.

\--

Time had passed since their throws of passion. It was unknown what time it actually was considering that both men had drifted off into a deep sleep when the exhaustion sunk in. The couple had found themselves wrapped in each other’s arms after a bit of tossing and turning into the sheets. Once they were awake enough they spent the next few minutes just silently lounging together in the mess of blankets and enjoying one another’s company. Malik had taken the instinctive to hold Ryou close to him this round of cuddling, knowing very well that his partner relished in being held close. He kissed the top of his head and tugged his back even closer to his chest; finding great comfort in getting his arms rubbed up and down by Ryou as a sign of affection. Malik’s eyes drooped as he fell into a light sleep. To only awake shortly after by the weight shifting from the mattress as he soon cracked his eyes open to the vision of his lover getting redressed. It caused alarm within the worried Egyptian.

“Where are you going?” He asked softly, sitting up in bed and stretching his arms back to keep himself propped up by his palms.

“Yugi is home, he sounds in distress,” Ryou looked up at him curiously as he was now back into his trousers and was shirtless. 

Malik’s expression quickly dropped, disappointed that his partner rather is with their nerdy roommate than stay cuddled in bed with him. Before he was even able to protest the idea the other had quickly pulled over his shirt and rushed out of the room. 

The light to Yugi's bedroom was on and the door was wide open. The macabre man was worried about his friend since he had heard the squeaky front door open and the gentle rebel's heavy studded boots trudge in. Ever since becoming a department manager at Kaiba Corp Yugi was obligated to attend nomikai parties with his colleagues. Ryou was thankful he didn't have to endure such activities at the museum since they were not only time consuming but mentally draining as well.

That was one of the things Malik would always question about Japan's culture. They were a society that was cold but devoted at the same time. Going out and getting completely plastered was a bizarre way of showing appreciation to your staff and if you're low on the totem pole it helps boost you up in the work environment. Yugi never expressed whether or not he fully enjoyed staying out every other night. But it was assumed that he'd rather stay home and work overtime in his upcoming projects.

Ryou took his time to approach the threshold to his friend's room. He was a tad cautious not to startle his tipsy friend. Believe it or not, Yugi was a goofy drunk but he was able to hold a temper when under the influence. There have been times where he has screamed at not only Malik but his best friend Jounochi when they were misbehaving. 

When the flower boy's bare feet stopped in the open doorway. He was caught by surprise. Yugi was stripped from his suit and tie and was left in his work pants and a black tank top. He was hunched over and staring intently into his full-length mirror propped up against the wall. His face was pressed directly against the glass of the mirror with his forehead resting on it. His mouth was open as he mumbled into his reflection, leaving a fog of steam from his hot breath. 

This scene wasn't necessarily unsettling to Ryou but it was sure strange. Hell, he had experienced much more odd things in his lifetime. This display certainly didn't take the cake. Ryou observed first before stepping inside. His friend almost looked tranced. His eyes weren't clear and his expression was somber. And then all of a sudden it was made clear. The name _'Atem' _was uttered past his lips. It all made sense now.__

__The former King of Games was trying to speak with his alter ego through the mirror. How fascinating. But, also not surprising. Ryou could imagine that Yugi and the Pharaoh have had many discussions within many shiny reflective surfaces. There have been occurrences where the flower boy had also recalled similar situations. Though, his encounters with the spirit of the ring were not enjoyable visits. Unlike Yugi, Ryou’s glimpses of the thief in his own reflection were mainly quite terrifying. Since he had a sinister look to him most of the time. They also weren’t leisure chats either or ones of encouragement like the bonded Pharaoh and his innocent boy host. The thief was outright cruel at times and was very threatening. Just thinking about it now made the delicate soul of a man get a chill from within. And it bothered him even more from also feeling a sense of fondness from the twisted relationship he had with him._ _

__He even found himself subconsciously reaching up to his chest where the ancient artifact used to hang from his neck. Ryou had a habit of holding the millennium ring for comfort when feeling uneasy. His wandering mind was drawn back to the situation at hand when the sound of sobbing was heard from his intoxicated friend._ _

__Tears ran down the other man's cheek as he was seen slowly dropping to his knees with his forehead still pressed against the glass. Both hands held onto the black frame of the full-length mirror. His state was so sorrowful it was such a pity. It caused Ryou to frown and tip-toe his way towards Yugi; before crouching down next to him. He reached over and placed a hand on the gentle rebel's shoulder. The touch rightfully startled him as he flinched and pushed away out of instinct. He looked at the pretty face of his friend in surprise._ _

__"Ryou…" His eyes softened and quickly embraced him._ _

__The flower boy smiled and accepted the hug the second he was held as he wrapped his arms back in return and gave a tight squeeze. There was enough for the two of them to get comfortable like this. It was not the first time for Ryou to see Yugi distressed like this and it most likely wouldn't be the last. Instead of trying to console his roommate with words he just stayed silent and allowed whatever agony the former King of Games had spent up. His sobs were muffled now with the same soft fabric that was now getting damp from tears._ _

__Ryou knew very well how lonely it was to be completely alone within your mind after sharing it with an entity for so long. Over time the spirit will infuse with not only your train of thought but your soul. And after they are gone it was a dreadful barren feeling. It's the kind of emptiness that can drive somebody absolutely mad. And it takes a lot of courage to come out of it unscathed. One could say that even, it was like losing a part of yourself. Unlike how he talked with Yugi, Ryou never really discussed deeply about such things with Malik. Mainly because the Arab’s defense mechanism was to block out any memory that was hurtful without reflecting on its face value. Speaking of his aloof lover, he had appeared in the threshold and observed the two friends cradle each other on the floor with arms folded across his chest._ _

__It was Ryou who noticed his presence first, naturally. And then Yugi not too soon after. His eyes were still weepy. His demeanor still shaken as the macabre young man aided him back onto his feet. Malik stared at Yugi critically, trying to figure out the situation at hand. He had no idea what was going on but knew for sure that the fool was drunk._ _

__“Oh, sorry. Were you having a moment?” He couldn’t help but allow a snarky comment to pass his lips._ _

__The flower boy's gaze was stark and facial features neutral. A trait he had mastered overtime. He wasn't impressed with his partner's attitude._ _

__"Yes," He answered curtly._ _

__Ryou stayed by Yugi's side and pressed a palm into his back for a sign of security. The gentle rebel was oblivious to the suffocating mood that was settling in the atmosphere._ _

__"Hey, Malik! Does your alter ever try to speak with you too? I know he's not a spirit like Atem or the thief but--"_ _

__The Egyptian's face slowly soured as the bumbling drunk continued spewing words out of that mush mouth of his. What a stupid thing to ask. Even Ryou thought so but was too empathetic to say a word._ _

__"I shatter mirrors every other day. What do you think?" He practically spat out._ _

__This was true. Between the three men, Malik was the only one that will have to battle with his other side for the rest of his life. The other two were free from the burden of dealing with the tragedy of not truly knowing oneself. At least Ryou could claim that he has a strong sense of self. Along with Yugi. As for the former tomb keeper. Well, he was still stuck in the middle of an identity crisis. And this was the main reason why the delicate man tolerated the tactless behavior of his lover. He was lost and not yet found. And this necessarily didn't make him an evil person. His only saving grace was the fact that at least Malik was self aware of his bad behavior. And it was evident that he most likely hurt the most from the ordeal of surviving than his roommates. And that was the only saving grace he had from Ryou intervening from his tangent._ _

__“Of course I hear from that bastard!”_ _

__His voice boomed from anger as he leaned forward to the shorter stature of his friend with clenched fists by his sides._ _

__“ **_He is_** really there! **_He is_** a part of me! All _**you’re**_ hearing is part of your stupid ass conscious! The Pharaoh is dead! His body had rotted a long time ago! It’s only your mind that keeps him alive, you fool!”_ _

__Outrage poured out of his mouth like venom. It was all true though, every word. Ryou knew that. He was even self-aware to know that whenever he heard the vicious voice of the King of Thieves linger in his brain that it was only his own psyche playing tricks on him. Despite the fact of logic. There were times even now where the flower boy’s heart couldn’t help but believe that there was still a chunk of the tormented thief’s soul attached to his._ _

__“Malik!” Ryou finally butted in._ _

__“Enough,” His tone was stern but hushed, there was no need for anymore cutting words._ _

__Yugi was drunk. It’d be nonsensical to continue an argument with a person who wasn’t in clear headspace. And the brooding Arab knew it too but it didn’t keep him from his temper flaring. He caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror and cringed at the sight of his own stupid face. The way his brows creased by the bridge of his nose and those glaring lavender eyes only caused him suffering. He was his father’s son and how he absolutely despised it._ _

__“Do you understand me!” Malik’s eyes panned back to Yugi’s clueless face and dared to jab at his chest._ _

__It was clear from the bogged eyes of the smaller framed man that his mind was elsewhere. He was not angered nor enlightened by what Malik had to say. In actuality, he was starting to look quite pale in the face and stare more half-lidded than before._ _

__“I feel sick…” He suddenly blurted out._ _

__“What?” Malik dropped his arm to his side, keeping a critical stare._ _

__And with that Yugi had keeled over as his face turned a faint shade of green. The sound of sloshing fluids being heard right after; Ryou couldn’t bear to watch the disgusting amount of vomit that had, unfortunately, projecting onto the Egyptian's tan chest. Letting him get a good feel of the warm porridge-like consistency that dripped down and onto the floor as Malik was quick with moving his feet out of the way so the vomit missed his toes by a hair._ _

__Malik was in shock. Taking a moment to gather what had just happened. His eyes were wide in disbelief. The wretched scent of the vomit was drenched in a heavy alcohol smell. It was no surprise the fool had become sick. Once realization sunk in is when rage uncontrollably overcame the manic foreigner. It was the dumbfounded pathetic look on the gentle rebel's face that infuriated Malik the most. Out of instinct, he shot a look at Ryou for a split second who was only to make eye contact for a brief moment before bowing his head again to avoid the terrible mess that was still sticking to his lover's skin. It was strange to think that the macabre young man could tolerate the gruesome sight of blood and guts but not the putrid sight of half undigested food._ _

__Ryou sprung back into action when Malik became physical by using all his strength to shove pewny little Yugi's back into the mirror. Causing a jagged line to crack the glass. It was just another seven years of bad luck added to only Ra knows how long by now. Ryou jumping in between them wasn’t worth the effort seeing that his partner had caught himself from becoming a complete bull in a china shop by stiffening up and slowly backing away when his smaller framed roommate looked like he had gotten the wind knocked out of him. He had frightened himself; his partner could tell by how his pupils enlarged. Malik was sober at the moment. He was self-aware of his violent act as his reflection greeted him once more. Guilt was to blame with the result of that was to flee out of the room. There were no words to speak. It wouldn’t have mattered anyhow. Ryou had watched the startled Arab take no time to rush out. He bent down to aid his friend back onto his feet once more._ _

__\--_ _

__Somehow Ryou’s more slender physique was able to drag Yugi into the bathroom where he had gotten sick two times with one spattering onto the smoothed surfaced floor. Luckily Malik was already in there from trying to clean up himself and was able to give his delicate partner a hand with the drunken fool. After mopping the floor the flower boy came up with a good idea to fold a towel neatly and laid it under Yugi’s head so he would while he laid on the floor right beside the toilet. And just for added moral support the two other roommates stayed crammed inside the cramped space of the bathroom. Leaving them to lounge inside the large square bathtub that took up most of the area against the wall. They cozied themselves inside the empty tub to watch over their sickly friend. With the exception of Malik volunteering to fetch a couple of cups of tea while they played guard dog, stepping over the limp body of the gentle rebel on the way out. Ryou sat criss-cross on the floor of the tub with his lover’s smartphone in his lap as a foreign drama was playing on the screen. Oddly enough, Malik enjoyed watching soap operas. He suspected it was stemmed from Isis since she also enjoyed watching them alongside Rishid of course. Their pick this time around was an Indian drama, the same series his sister was also watching. If it wasn’t for the surprise distribution from the former King of Games the couple would most likely be under the warm covers than inside the cold tub. To be completely frank, Ryou didn’t typically see the appeal to the outrageous plotlines to these shows but did understand how they could be entertainingly funny. Though, he much preferred it when they watched the Korean dramas more._ _

__The quietness alone had given Ryou the chance for his mind to linger. As he lifted his head away from the phone screen and drifted into his thoughts. His body was recalling the sensual way he was touched from earlier. Even his backside was burning from the pleasure that seemed like it was short-lived. It was always such a strange occurrence when it came to sex with Ryou since he was so socially awkward when it came to sensuality. Malik had been the first male partner he’d experience intimacy with before; excluding the more clumsy encounters, he had with a schoolgirl or two back in his youth. Which if he truly desired Ryou could have a string of girls to his heart’s content. Despite his dark interests he never had ill intentions towards any human being. He wasn’t the type to take advantage of the innocent. Any sexual encounter he had with a female was always experimental. And never satisfying, to say the least. That’s why it was amazing when he had experienced that intense spark with the frisky Arab. It was like he had his gorgeous foreigner lover’s touch engraved in his brain. He was simulated each and every time they had a chance to intertwine not only their bodies but their souls as well._ _

__And perhaps that is where the feeling of dread started to soak in. The infatuation Ryou felt was mere because it was indeed that his body had experienced the joy of a man’s touch before he himself actually did. He supposed he could thank the spirit of the ring for that. Allowing his subconscious to crave the throws of passion. He couldn’t even be angry at the fact that this is what happened years ago without his recollection. Because at the end of the day Ryou saw himself with the last laugh. Sure, it was still painful to think back that his body was used as a toy by a corrupted entity. However, pride was to be held that he was strong enough to overcome the obstacle of being abused by somebody else and reclaim his own life again._ _

__“Can you believe in two hours we have to get up for work?”_ _

__Malik’s words did not infiltrate through the deep thinking process that Ryou was currently in. At first the Egyptian just stood there in front of the tub while holding both mugs in his hands to study the vacant expression of his lover’s beautiful face. He set a mug in the corner edge of the tub since it was a wide enough space for it without falling; before carefully stepping into the tub without spilling any of the hot tea onto the idle disposition of his partner. It didn’t really worry Malik all too much when Ryou became absent like this. It wasn’t a rare occurrence for the flower boy since he’d go into deep thought often. It was discussed before that it was a bad habit of Ryou’s since it was a trait learned when being possessed for so long. Malik wasn’t even noticed until he fully settled back inside the tub next to him. Because it was a tight squeeze and he had longer legs the only option of comfort for him was to dangle his bare feet over the ledge of the tub._ _

__Ryou slowly blinked as he touched his face to regather his surroundings. His muscles tightened when he felt Malik’s arms wrap around his waist to pull him closer into him and proceeded to kiss the top of his head as a sign of reassurance._ _

__“What troubles you, ya helo?” He kept his lips pressed to the other’s soft white hair before taking a sip of tea._ _

__Ryou stayed silent, slowly relaxing into his lover’s side, and stared at the bottom of the tub as he searched for a proper response. He didn’t want to bring up the spirit of the ring to Malik. He was very sensitive on the subject and he already suffered from humiliation from it. And despite all the torment and struggle that came with trying to stay humbled in a painful transformation of self-discovery. It was impossible for Ryou to look back at the thief in anger; because deep down inside in his own twisted ways. The former host believed that they had a bond. And that the thief had a fondness towards the silly little schoolboy he chose as a vessel to inhabitants. They had a pact. It wasn’t pure like Yugi and Atem, but there was some vague friendship between them for sure. And all Ryou could be was thankful for the strength the spirit of the ring had given him. Because without that pain he wouldn’t have grown stronger through time._ _

__“Nothing,” He answered finally after a long pause._ _

__Ryou closed his eyes, slouching his posture to press even closer into his partner’s chest, his skin still had a strong smell of soap after scrubbing himself extra rough to get the vomit off before it dried. He curled a bit to wrap his arms around his lover to cuddle. After the tea was abandoned and a bit of readjusting it was decided that it was the best to climb out from the tub and sit in a more practical position. Malik had gotten up first and reached his hand down to the more delicate man to help lift him up. He was also the first one to sit back inside the tub with his legs flat and stretched out as Ryou quickly followed and sat down between the other’s legs. So they were in a spooning pose. He felt more at ease like this, feeling protected in his foreign lover’s arms as they both knew that Ryou favored being the little spoon and Malik didn’t mind that._ _

__“I’m just happy to be here with you,” Ryou suddenly spoke._ _

__“...And Yugi, of course,” He added on, glancing over at the poor soul who was still slumped onto the bathroom floor with heavy eyelids._ _

__“I am too,” Malik responded with the back of his head resting against the wall as he nodded off to sleep._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to add another sexy scene between Ryou and Malik for a while now but never get a chance to without ruining the whole tone of the rest of what's going.
> 
> The idea of Yugi talking into the mirror to communicate with Atem was from a post on tumblr that I CAN NOT find for the life of me. But, it was fanart of Yugi with a somber look on his face and the caption read under it _"Talking into the mirror like it's a tombstone."_
> 
> I also wanted to give Yugi more of the spotlight but failed miserably. xD; I'd like to add though that the song Outskirts of Paradise by Bad Suns reminds me of him.
> 
> And while I'm on that topic the song Off She Goes by the same band reminds me of Ryou because truth be told I really love Ryou's blue eyes and white hair combo because it's more fitting for his albino appearance. But the reason why I chose to depict him with his dark brown eyes is that I find it more unsettling when Ryou's stare is vacant. His eyes are so dark that when the shine out of his eyes disappear it's more eery and fits that '1000 yard stare' look. 
> 
> Also, I originally wanted to have Malik and Ryou be sitting on the floor with Yugi but because I remembered the design of Japanese bathrooms is small I decided to put them in the tub instead. Which I thought was cute.

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to rochelleechidna and frumblebump (Bro, your username still cracks me up! LOL) For just being really cool and constructive with me. <3


End file.
